The editor of Arab affairs at Haaretz said that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) sees a trap in the latest ceasefire proposal after the United States adopted Israel's position, and that its response to what is happening in Gaza may be to resume "suicide" operations.

While the newspaper's editorial doubted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had actually accepted the new American plan.

In a report titled "Unity of Fronts: Suicide Operations: Hamas's Response to What is Happening in Gaza," Jackie Khoury, editor of Arab affairs at Haaretz, wrote that Hamas essentially sees the latest version of the fluctuating American ceasefire proposals as an adoption of Israel's position in rejecting the end of the war and a comprehensive withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

He wrote that the bombing in Tel Aviv two days ago, and more importantly, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad Movement's claim of responsibility for it, revived an old fear, which is the return of "suicide" operations to the heart of Israel as in the 1990s, to the point that it is not known whether the two movements are operationally capable of launching them.

The writer said that the level of fear increased due to what is happening in the West Bank, where anger and frustration deepened with the repeated storming of Palestinian towns and villages by the Israeli army, and the continued attacks by settlers on the Palestinian population, which provides fertile ground for recruiting "suicide bombers", as he put it.

"Suicide" attacks

The book noted that the timing of the bombing, which led to the death of one person and the injury of another, is also important, as it came in the midst of diplomatic and political activity to try to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and before the visit of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

Although the attack is limited, the anxiety will not disappear according to the report's writer, who reminded that the message of the Palestinians, especially Hamas and Jihad, is clear, which is that the continued disruption of the deal, especially by Netanyahu, means that the conflict will change, if not in the Strip, then inside Israel, and martyrdom operations will be presented as an option again.

He described this as another type of unity of fronts, as the events in Gaza affect the West Bank and what the residents of the West Bank feel will affect the largest cities in Israel.

Timing is also important for Hamas in that it looks not only at what happened in the past few days, but also at what did not happen. International pressure (including Arab pressure) is weak, the United Nations has washed its hands of what is happening, and there is no longer much reliance on the International Court of Justice. As for Gaza, it is in ruins, according to him.

The Israeli writer added that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar still holds two cards that are like carrots and sticks: on the one hand, he holds the Israeli prisoners, whose release requires the release of Palestinian prisoners, ending the war, and withdrawing from Gaza. On the other hand, he is waging a guerrilla war in the Strip and trying to set fire to the West Bank and launch revenge operations inside Israel.

An American trap

The writer Khoury said that Hamas sees a trap in the latest American proposal, which basically stipulated a gradual ceasefire, with Israel retaining the option of resuming fighting at the end of the first stage.

He added that the proposal means to it that Washington is adopting the position of Israel, which basically refuses to commit to a ceasefire, end the war, and completely withdraw from Gaza. Therefore, Hamas deliberately leaked the details of the plan, most notably postponing discussions on ending the war until the end of the first phase, with the absence of a clear commitment to withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor and to embody a monitoring mechanism in the Netzarim corridor, not to mention Israel’s demands to deport dozens of Palestinian prisoners and its refusal to include the names of dozens of others.

Khoury concluded by writing that Hamas has nothing to lose, as it understood that Washington’s goal is to obtain peace until the presidential elections next November and to present an image of victory in the return of civilian detainees (and perhaps some female soldiers) in exchange for the release of a limited number of Palestinian prisoners. It believes that the second phase is of less importance to Washington and even to Israel, which sees all of this as a price for the war. Therefore, the movement is focusing its real battle on the first phase, hoping that it will be the last.

Last Chance

In a second editorial, Haaretz called on Netanyahu to accept the latest American proposal, which Secretary of State Antony Blinken described as perhaps Israel's last chance to return its prisoners, and he was keen to convey this feeling directly to Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.

Haaretz wrote that every Israeli who is honest with himself knows that what Blinken said is not just words, it may actually be the last chance, and recalled the estimates of the Israeli security establishment that about half of the 115 prisoners may have been killed.

Haaretz said that while Blinken reiterated his commitment to Israel's security, he also affirmed its commitment to reducing tensions in the region, adding that the Americans understood that Netanyahu's political considerations harm the decision-making process even when it comes to the lives of Israelis and the future of their state, and quoted Blinken as calling for not looking for excuses to disrupt the deal.

Policy of Evasion

The newspaper accused Netanyahu of continuing his policy of playing with words, and said that his claim that Israel alone is making concessions is throwing dust in the eyes.

According to the newspaper, Washington links the deal to the stability of the entire Middle East, but Netanyahu is evasive, and the public discourse in Israel does not sufficiently emphasize the danger that threatens the “state” if the opportunity to conclude a deal is wasted, as it will not only mean that the prisoners have been left to their fate, but also the possibility of igniting a regional war.

The writer concluded that Netanyahu claimed - at the end of his meeting with Blinken - that he supports Washington's proposal, saying that the ball is now in Hamas's court, but it is difficult to believe his claim due to his history of lies, and she said that the time has come for him to accept the deal in word and deed. Source: Haaretz