Hamas’ military and police units have very visibly reasserted their presence in Gaza. That has fuelled the cries of the Israeli far right that the ceasefire represents a defeat for Israel and a victory for the Palestinians. Like the US and its Arab allies, I don't believe Gallant, Gantz and the other opponents of the Likud and far right view it the same way. As one might expect, opinion among the Palestinians in Gaza also appears to be mixed.
According to Reuters: "Name me one country that could withstand Israel's war-machine for 15 months," said Salah Abu Rezik, a 58-year-old factory worker. He praised Hamas for helping to distribute aid to hungry Gazans during the conflict and trying to enforce a measure of security. "Hamas is an idea and you can't kill an idea," Abu Rezik said, predicting the group would rebuild. "Others voiced anger that Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack had brought destruction to Gaza. "We had homes and hotels and restaurants. We had a life. Today we have nothing, so what kind of a victory is this?" said Ameen, 30, a Gaza City civil engineer, displaced in Khan Younis. "When the war stops, Hamas must not rule Gaza alone.” Actually, it wouldn’t surprise me if there are many Palestinians who could subscribe to both these seemingly contradictory assessments of the war. Hamas may remain a force in Gaza but the barbaric Israeli reaction to its October 2023 incursion into Israel will likely have a chastening effect on the organization and the entire Axis of Resistance in the Middle East. IMO the odds more favour them trying to secure the best possible terms within the framework of a stabilization agreement worked out by the US, Israel, the conservative Arab states, and Turkey rather than Hamas launching another offensive and provoking a similar Israeli response. Significantly, Hamas is not balking at sharing power with the PA in administering the strip, as some have proposed, and which I believe the constituency represented by Gallant and Gantz would accept. The Reuters report is at https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-tight-grip-gaza-complicates-plan-for-lasting-peace-2025-01-22/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#34811): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/34811 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/110749212/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
