Egyptian ceasefire proposal leaves Hamas cornered
Egyptian ceasefire proposal leaves Hamas cornered
Either the Islamists accept near-humiliating terms, or they risk isolation and a stepped-up Israeli military assault
By Avi Issacharoff July 15, 2014, 1:48 am
via Egyptian ceasefire proposal leaves Hamas cornered | The Times of Israel.
It’s not yet completely clear how Hamas and Israel will respond to the Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire to to be announced on Tuesday morning. But one thing is certain: This is the darkest hour for the Hamas leadership in Gaza and abroad.
If they accept the Egyptian proposal, they will be perceived as having been heavily defeated in the latest round of conflict with Israel; a defeat that is close to a humiliation.
That’s because the conditions in the Egyptian proposal do not include any of the demands that Hamas has been repeating day and night in the last few days. As reported in the Egyptian media, there is no mention in the proposal of Hamas’s oft-repeated demand for the release of the dozens of its operatives, freed in the 2011 Shalit deal, who were rearrested in recent weeks by Israeli forces in the West Bank in the wake of the murders of the three Israeli teenagers. There is also no concrete commitment regarding the opening of the Rafah border crossing or the payments of the salaries of Hamas’s 40,000 clerks in Gaza. And there is no mention whatsoever of the situation in the West Bank. All these demands were raised by the Hamas military wing two days after Israel began Operation Protective Edge, and repeated interminably ever since.
Yes, there is some language providing for the opening of the border crossings, and an easing of movement of people and goods via those crossings as permitted by the security situation. But that language is almost a direct repetition of the November 2012 ceasefire terms that brought Operation Pillar of Defense to a close. Time and again, Hamas’s leaders have been stressing in recent days that “there will be no return to the 2012 ceasefire terms.”
As late as Monday night, Arabic TV stations were broadcasting a recorded speech by former Hamas Gaza prime minister Ismail Haniyeh, in which he repeatedly praised the heroism of the Hamas military wing, which had “restored Palestinian pride.” He heaped praise on its courage and achievements… and also repeated those familiar demands — the prisoners, the salaries, the border crossings, the blockade.
And then came the Egyptian proposal, ignoring those demands almost completely.
Hamas’s problem is that if it rejects the Egyptian proposal it will find itself unprecedentedly isolated in the international community and the Arab world. Cairo will accuse it of torpedoing the opportunity for calm, and Jerusalem will have the legitimacy to mount a ground offensive into Gaza.
Thus the options open to Haniyeh, the military wing in Gaza, and political bureau chief Khaled Mashaal in Qatar range from bad to worse.
Soon after the Egyptian proposal was published, one Hamas spokesman, Fawzi Barhoum, announced “there will be no truce unless the demands of the military wing, and of the Palestinian people, are met.”
Did that represent Hamas’s rejection of the proposal? That’s not clear — and won’t be until the spokesmen of the military wing, who are leading this conflict with Israel, have stated their position.
But sources in the Strip told this reporter late Monday that the military wing has decided not even to discuss the Egyptian proposal. These sources said that Hamas is fuming over the process by which the Egyptian terms were brought to its attention — via the media.
Indeed, the leaking of the proposal to the Egyptian media, the fact that it ignores Hamas’s demands, and the further fact that it includes a nod to Israel via its similarities to the 2012 terms, must seem suspicious indeed to Hamas. Could it be that Jerusalem and Cairo hatched this move together, in order to corner Hamas?
It seems obvious that there’ll be few tears shed in Cairo if Hamas is perceived as weakened by a ceasefire deal, or, alternately, is hit hard by the Israel militarily. This much is clear from the discussions between Israeli and Egyptian officials, and in recent days, from the tone of the Egyptian media, which is taking great delight in criticizing and denigrating Hamas.
And what of the Netanyahu government? It would seem that most members of the security cabinet recognize that the Egyptian proposal represents a fair achievement for Israel, and a significant failure for Hamas.
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WarSclerotic 
July 15, 2014 at 2:55 AM
it sounds good. it looks good on paper. a quick rereading of history shows that some outside interest has always tossed a rope to Israel’s enemies, enabling them to climb back out pf the hole they’ve dug for themselves. If, in fact Hamas is cut down to size, then, so too, is Iran. Hopefully, Hamas will be unable to re emerge from the abyss, and again torment Israel, at some future time. Maybe this is the beginning of a new middle east, in which colonial hegemonies (US, UK, AND France), no longer are driving the ebb and flow of events. Egypt and Israel share common interests, now. This IS a new middle east. Iranian interests should be expelled from the Mediterranean coast. May this mark the beginning of a long and painful retreat for the Teheran crowd. They have fostered political instability everywhere as the flowing rivers of blood that accompany instability. May they pay in, “SPADES”, for what they have wrought since 1979!
July 15, 2014 at 4:19 AM
Well said IB. Maybe there is hope in all this chaos.
July 15, 2014 at 4:36 AM
I’m afraid there are no happy endings when you’re dealing with radical Islam, unless it’s eliminated.
July 15, 2014 at 5:52 AM
Netanyahu will cease fire and the rockets will still come. What a fucking moron, he is incapable of getting the job done. He’s to weak to be a war time leader.
July 15, 2014 at 4:17 AM
Wait…did I read that correctly? One of the demands made by Hamas is that Israel make “payments of the salaries of Hamas’s 40,000 clerks in Gaza.”?? Are you fricking kidding me?
July 15, 2014 at 5:48 AM
Another bad quick – fix, the next round is probably just a matter of time….
( If the present / illegal WH team is involved, what else to expect……? )
As Israeli citizen I would feel forsaken by Nethanyahus government…….
The day will come when this shaky building ( built on sand / hold together by endless bad quick-fixes ) will crash – the Nazi rulers in Teheran have a goal and they stick to it – the game they play is not called Softball ! We will see, but it wont be nice…..
July 15, 2014 at 6:50 AM
Cornered shmornered.
Nothing short of “eliminated” is good news for us in reference to Hamas.
On the one hand.
On the other hand, Al-Sisi is quite capable of dismantling Hamas much more quickly and cleanly than the IDF….
The question being – would he ever gird his loins to that task?
Does his Egypt have enough of an interest in doing so?
Is Gaza serving as a military base and command control room for Islamist terror cells in the Sinai?
Would the elimination of Hamas and establishment of law and order in Gaza be a major stabilising factor for Egypt’s own political and security interests? Could Egypt and Israel work together to achieve that goal without a major and bloody military incoursion into Gaza? Is such a senario pure wishful thinking or maybe it is transpiring before our eyes?
July 15, 2014 at 10:31 AM
There are different sides on this
1) there is now more international political space to go in and to end this.
2) If Israel not end this now, what will be the reaction from the arabs /palestinians/ moslimes IN Israel ?
Is there a change it will be seen as a weakness from Israel and a 3 th intifada of epic proportions will rise , and that is a much bigger problem, no iron dome for that , and in the same time the left over hamas terrorist from gaza still shooting rockets .
Bad bad situation if Israel NOT finish this for a long time , for ever is not possible, it is in the religion !
Nobody talks about it, but it is the hart of the beast !
Israel must be careful that it will not be eaten up from inside !
Terrorist in your government is the first nail in your coffin , and that democratic !
Feed them, let then breed, give them representation, and it is suicide in a slow way,
You are waiting till common sens kicks in soon ? well we are waiting 1600 years and still wrestling with this barbaric terroristic believe system, but respect it tells the black hand !
Only in Israel ?
Nope, same goes for europe and the usa , basically for the rest of the world, only in Israel is this process further advanced.
The jihad has different faces !
It is not about land, it is about religion !!
That why Israel MUST be recognized as a Jewish state, that is the ultimate defense line !!
ain,t it terrible it is 2014 and not 614 !
July 15, 2014 at 2:25 PM
“Palestinian rocket fire persists, Israel warns truce at risk”
Idiots, there is no fucking truce. Takes two to tango morons!!!’
July 15, 2014 at 2:44 PM
I know it John, but i have still the hope that it is a political trap for hamas, the will go in ,
July 15, 2014 at 3:09 PM
A defeat for Hamas is a defeat for Iran. If all this comes to fruition, Bibi should the biggest ceremony for the surrender of Hamas on the deck of a ship complete with the presentation of a sword to Israel as a token of surrender. Something the world hasn’t seen since Japan surrendered to the USA. No cease fires. No agreements behind closed doors. Something way out in the open to be rubbed in Tehran’s face. I know it’s just a thought but wouldn’t be real nice?
July 15, 2014 at 3:42 PM
Hope you’re right.
July 15, 2014 at 3:47 PM
be patient , coming days all will be clear, i see some tricks in the sleeve !
At least that is where i,am hoping for !