Hamas accepted a deal, but it was not a deal that Israel would take. Also see a chilling video conversation that I want you to play (bottom Tweet), and explain how it makes any sense.
Israel Attacks Rafah, as It Questions Hamas Cease-Fire Terms
The Wall Street Journal reports Israel Attacks Rafah, as It Questions Hamas Cease-Fire Terms
Israel’s military said on Monday night that it was “conducting targeted strikes against Hamas terror targets in eastern Rafah” hours after Israel warned tens of thousands of Palestinians to evacuate parts of the city ahead of an offensive.
The new proposal, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, incorporated Hamas’s own demands, including a cessation of military operations and a withdrawal of Israeli forces before an exchange of hostages in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
The White House on Monday acknowledged that Hamas had accepted a proposal for a cease-fire, but John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, declined to elaborate on the specifics of the deal or whether Israel was inclined to accept the proposal. “We’re currently reviewing that response,” Kirby said. “And we’re discussing it with our partners in the region.”
Any deal that includes a permanent end to the war is likely to be rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly said Israel won’t accept those terms.
Mission Impossible
Israel has insisted from the outset that it was eventually going into Rafah and would eliminate Hamas.
Hamas decided it may as well be now. Returning to the WSJ …
Still, Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh worked Monday evening to create diplomatic pressure on Israel to accept a deal, calling Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called on the international community to pressure Israel to accept a cease-fire.
Pressure built within Israel, too, as thousands of people protested in Tel Aviv and other cities on Monday night in support of a hostage deal.
More than one million Palestinians are currently sheltering in Rafah, the only city in Gaza that hasn’t been subject to a full-on Israeli ground invasion. The Israeli military said Monday’s evacuation notice would affect an estimated 100,000 people in Rafah.
Clear Position
President Biden, before departing his home in Wilmington, Del., spoke Monday morning with Netanyahu about a potential invasion of Rafah, White House officials said. The White House said Biden updated the Israeli leader on U.S. efforts to agree to a cease-fire and “reiterated his clear position on Rafah.”
Ironclad Commitment Mixed Signals
Despite an “Ironclad Commitment” the U.S. Delays Sending Precision Weapons to Israel
The Biden administration has delayed the sale of thousands of precision weapons to Israel, raising questions about whether the U.S. is deliberating slowing the delivery of weapons to its top Middle East ally amid growing domestic political pressure.
White House National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby on Monday declined to comment on whether any arms sales to Israel had been put on hold. “Our security commitments to Israel are ironclad,” he said during the White House briefing.
The State Department, which oversees U.S. weapons sales to other countries, declined to comment and referred questions to the White House. “We don’t comment on individual cases,” said a State Department spokesman.
A spokeswoman for the Israeli Ministry of Defense declined to comment.
If Israel launches a full scale invasion of Rafah, it’s going to be both messy and bloody from a humanitarian standpoint.
Opinions run extreme in both directions. Here are a few examples.
Among the Dead
Singing and Dancing
Stand With Israel
Criminal Invasion
If you have a strong opinion, one of those Tweets likely encompasses it.
Some of us see nothing but a major travesty, noting that US involvement in the Mideast over the years has not accomplished anything.
We have red lines that are green and green lines that are red (think of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld shaking hands with Hussein).
We work out a deal with Iran then Trump unilaterally canceled it despite the Defense Department admitting Iran was honoring the deal. Now Iran is closer than ever to having a nuclear bomb.
Looking at Mideast policy in general, what the heck did we get right in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, or Iran?
Now we have an “Ironclad Commitment” to Israel despite withholding weapons we never should have agreed to send in the first place.
Questions Abound
What are the goals in Israel and Ukraine? How much are we willing to pay to achieve them? How will we fund the goals? What is the point of red lines if there is no penalty for crossing them?
Why don’t we just stop meddling because every time we try, we make matters worse while racing up massive debt along the way?
Conversation of the Day
Please play that clip. Then tell me what the Hell Israel stands to gain.
Israel issues evacuation orders. Who, if not Hamas, will be the first to evacuate?
As the horror stories mount on both sides, some of us are sick of the whole damn thing. I see nothing to dance and cheer about.
What possible benefit is there in telling Hamas where the next strike will be, when Hamas will be the first to evacuate?
Ukraine’s Biggest Problem Isn’t Weapons
Regarding Ukraine, please note Ukraine’s Biggest Problem Isn’t Weapons, It’s Lack of Fighting Men
It is all so senseless. Everywhere.
It’s disappointing to see the continuous cycle of violence in the region despite efforts towards a cease-fire. Israel’s actions raise questions about the prospects for lasting peace in the area.
Does Israel’s decision to proceed with the attack despite Hamas accepting a cease-fire proposal signify a lack of intention to negotiate for peace or a strategic move to ensure security?