To Be or Not to Be - A Cease-Fire

IDF ground forces waiting to advance into Gaza

Rumblings are beginning to pressure Israel into accepting a cease-fire. Hamas appears to be trying through various parties to push for a cease-fire. At this stage, much depends on the US with Egypt playing an important role in drawing up a cease-fire agreement.

There is a problem for Israel to accept a cease-fire at this stage of Operation Protective Edge. In the past operations against Hamas in Gaza there were never any proper negotiations with Hamas and cease-fires were declared unilaterally by Israel only to be broken by Hamas after a short time. Hamas used the cease-fire to re-arm and provoke Israel into retaliation by firing rockets into Israel. This is the third operation against Hamas in Gaza within 6 years! Surely the Hamas aggression against innocent Israeli citizens between these operations by launching rockets deserves world condemnation which never came.

At the time of writing, the sounds of Israeli Air Force planes making their way to Gaza to carry out their sorties’ against Hamas are audible. This is interspersed with warning sirens warning people to go into bomb shelters. We are aware that our lives and routines are full of upheavals and stress. Israelis are well-disciplined by the home front to take shelter and not rely on the Iron Dome interceptors alone. It also brings home the message of the insensitivity of the evil Hamas regime to protect the Palestinian People in Gaza, apart from exposing them to the dangers to their lives, for propaganda purposes. If this is not evil cynicism to cheapening of Palestinian lives then what is?

Hamaswants a cease-fire desperately, but on their terms, which does not include cessation of hostilities against Israel or disarming. If Israel attacks Hamas bases surrounded by human shields is this an excuse for a cease-fire? Most of the launching of missiles on Israel comes from Hamas and Islamic Jihad bases protected by human shields. This Hamas cruel tactic has been verified by Israeli intelligence. It is the reason why the IDF warns the citizens of Gaza, who are living above basements of arms stores, to leave their homes before they attack. Hamas does not want their citizens to leave so that Israel could kill them. This evokes the sympathy of the world for Hamas against Israel. Naturally, the bleeding heart “human rights” activists” will refute this. They are charmed by Hamas lies that they filter out the truth to suit their naïve preconceptions.

We have no reason to believe that a premature, unilateral cease-fire will bring Hamas to its knees. It will give them legitimacy to re-arm and begin hostilities against Israel's citizens in the south after a year or two as had been the case in the past. This cannot be allowed to happen. However with much world pressure directed at Israel this scenario will occur within two years. History has a habit of repeating itself when the lessons learnt of past errors are not put into effect.

In my previous article I attacked the bleeding-hearted "human rights" activists who are prone to Hamas propaganda. They rather believe Hamas denials and lies, while attacking Israel.

The horrifying destruction of Gaza Palestinian homes and the killing of innocent people are due to Hamas. They are responsible for the massive human tragedy playing out in Gaza because of IDF activity. They ignored all warnings.

Hamas has done nothing for their people apart from increasing Palestinian suffering. The financial assistance they received were utilized for making bombs and bunkers for the elite in Hamas, while Palestinians were left exposed to the IDF retaliations as a result of Hamas missiles being fired into Israel. There were no programmes for infra-structure improvements, health services, or meaningful education apart from propaganda and poisoning the minds of small children, turning them into suicide bombers with intractable hatred for Israel and Jews.

The Egyptians have brokered a cease-fire. Israel has accepted it, but Hamas has not. Hamas is behaving as if they have won this war in Gaza. The cease-fire was to go into effect at 9.00 am on 15th July 2014. The deadline was 12 hours later. Operation Protective Edge has not ceased. The terms of cease-fire does not appeal to Hamas. They maintain that the fight for liberation of Palestinians from the “Israeli oppressor” must continue. According to them it is their right.

Hamas Terrorists

The cease-fire deal does limit Hamas up to a point. One would imagine that logically the terms of the cease-fire would include Hamas recognition of Israel's right to exist as well total disarmament of their terrorist groups. If these provisos are not included (which to date is not part of the cease-fire terms), the whole operation will be a failure and Hamas will re-arm and be ready for firing missiles into Israel within two to three years as was the case in the past.

Hamas does not accept the cease-fire and the operation continues. They do not care about the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza, which is not surprising. Israel accepts the cease-fire.

Gaza after IDF bombings

Operation Protective Edge continues with more justification than ever before. What does the world expect Israel to do? Must Israel fold their arms, allow Hamas to fire rockets into Israel with the intention to kill innocent people because if they fire back they may hit innocent Palestinian human shields surrounding the Hamas weapon stores? That is the biggest moral question that remains unanswered.

It looks as if Hamas has given us all their answer: No cease-fire! To them it is no dilemma or moral question! The more innocent people - Israeli or Palestinian - that are killed, the happier they are. Israelis are protected by Iron Dome Interceptors and bomb shelters while Hamas are protected by human shields which turn into killing fields.

Meanwhile the missiles continue to fly into Israel while Israel Air Force planes retaliate by bombing human shield-protected weapon stores in Gaza. The moral dilemma that we have as Israelis is a tough one. The only way to solve that dilemma is for Hamas to accept a cease-fire and to disarm. The situation is intolerable for both sides. If only the Palestinians who oppose Hamas would re-group like the people of Tunisia and Egypt to plan overthrowing the evil Hamas regime. The demise of Hamas must come from the Palestinian people.

Palestinians of the Middle East, Arise!
You have nothing to lose but the chains of Hamas,
Who have shackled you from Freedom, Dignity, Peace and Coexistence with Israel
Inshallah!

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