The Israeli government is considering announcing the transition to the third phase of the war, which involves targeted attacks on terrorist targets. Such a step could significantly reduce the military pressure for the release of Israeli hostages and give Hamas a breather.
If Israel agrees, as demanded by Hamas, to end the war in the Gaza Strip as a condition for a hostage deal, it will trap itself and, in my view, will not be able to bring back all the hostages. The high-level security assessment is that Yahya Sinwar is currently not interested in a deal. However, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich disagrees. According to him, something is happening behind the scenes. Hamas is not yet defeated; it must be defeated. However, the Israeli hostages are a critical component of Israel’s strategic goals in the south and north.
Given the claims by senior cabinet members that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sabotaged the previous hostage deal by passing details to Smotrich, it is even more interesting to hear what Smotrich has to say. Yesterday in...
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I am having considerable difficulty reading these news clips as it won’t accept that I am a member
Please do something about this as it is extremely irritating
Thank you
Glynis Brierley
My war experience ended 56 years ago this month. But there is something that I notice hasn’t changed, that is the fact that politicians and media are still allied for the purpose of advancing themselves both financially and politically. The media will still sell a lie over the truth to prop up politicians, mostly of the left, and politicians without actual war experience make poor warriors. If warriors are allowed to do their jobs, wars would not last as long. Glorifying a politician makes for a glowing bank account, and media types prefer that over telling the truth. Sad, but true.
Israel needs to defeat Hamas, period. And the sooner, the better.
To me Gantz and Eisenkot were the weakest links in the war cabinet followed by Gallant and Netanyahu. But to be honest I don’t think any politician would be able to declare war to Hezbollah because everyone understands the huge implications. But nonetheless the war is inevitable. Not because of Israel but because of their foes who have smelled blood. Even a hostage deal won’t change that.