Children hold up guns (one with an empty magazine) from a car as Palestinians gather in the streets to celebrate after a deal had been reached between Hamas and Israel over a long-term end to seven weeks of fighting in the Gaza Strip on August 26, 2014 in Gaza City. (photo credit: AFP/Mohammed Abed) Official Israel – Palestinian Ceasefire Details
Hamas failed to secure any core demands, accepted long-offered Egyptian terms
The Israel Project Press Service
Hamas was forced to accept a ceasefire with Israel without securing any of its core demands – an end to import restrictions on the Gaza Strip, salaries for Hamas operatives, the release of captured terrorists, the construction of a sea port, and so on – despite the group having long insisted that it would not cease fighting until those conditions were met, according to details of the deal officially revealed on Wednesday.
Rumors on Tuesday had already seemed to indicate as much, and soon afterward Israeli political correspondent Haviv Rettig Gur was able to print that quite literally “all reports of the ceasefire’s stipulations” indicated that Hamas had not received its demands. Veteran Israeli military analyst Yossi Melman bluntly assessed that “Hamas was forced to accept Egyptian and Israeli dictates,” noting that “the cease-fire is unlimited in time and Hamas was not promised anything except that which had been offered at the start of the military campaign.
” Melman estimated that the terror group had simply and straightforwardly “miscalculated,” eventually costing it 80% of its rocket arsenal, its offensive tunnel network, and at least three of its top military commanders. Melman also suggested that Gazans, frustrated with the destruction triggered by Hamas’s repeated gambits, may begin to turn on representatives of the group.
The predictions of growing anger may prove tenable. A Hamas negotiator involved in the ceasefire talks reportedly had both of his legs broken over what seems to have been an internal dispute regarding the truce terms, a development that Israeli analyst Ehud Ya’ari contextualized by noting – per the Times of Israel – that ‘despite Haniyeh’s confident remarks, Operation Protective Edge set back Hamas’s military infrastructure by 5-10 years.’ Other reports indicated that Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri was beaten when he tried to give a speech at Shifa Hospital, as women shouted at him that he was hiding in the building while their sons had been killed.
Another point of view on the Ceasefire:
It has been hard to find the actual terms of the truce agreement between Israel and Hamas (officially, the PA.)
The closest I’ve seen was published in Arabic at Youm7:
The [Egyptian Foreign] Ministry said in a statement, “in order to preserve the lives of innocent people and to prevent bloodshed, and on the basis of the Egyptian Initiative of 2014 and Cairo understandings of 2012, Egypt has invited Israeli and Palestinian sides to a comprehensive ceasefire in conjunction with the opening of the crossings between the Gaza Strip and Israel, in order to achieve the speed of entry of humanitarian aid and relief kits for reconstruction , and fishing, from 6 nautical miles, and the continuation of indirect negotiations between the parties on other topics within a month of the start of the ceasefire. ….Egypt reiterates its firm commitment to turn, which is dictated by the facts of history and geography, and responsibilities of national and Arab, regional, and what emerges from that work to achieve the aspirations of the Palestinian people and support their leadership, and concern for the promotion of peace and stability in the region through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state to achieve peace and security in the region, which would contribute to the prosperity and well-being of all its countries and peoples.
That is a hell of a vague statement.
The only concrete part is Israel re-opening the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossings that never closed (they are not going to open the old crossings) to allow construction materials and to extend the fishing zone to 6 nautical miles – which Israel did after the Pillar of Defense, and then reportedly shortened it over time. All the other stuff Hamas is claiming – that they will build a sea port and an airport and everything else – is fantasy.
Almost certainly Israel will only allow construction materials in that go through NGOs. That doesn’t mean that they won’t be diverted, as they had been before, so it remains to be seen whether there will be additional restraints or controls on the dual-use items.
It is very clear that Hamas got very little more than they would have gotten during the first cease fire proposal by Egypt before the ground invasion. The six mile fishing zone is mostly symbolic, that section of the Mediterranean is already overfished. Hamas celebrations are completely for pride.
Hamas is probably counting on being able to divert much of the international aid that will pour in.
Will the PA be able to leverage this into returning to a position of control in Gaza, especially Rafah? Egypt no doubt will push for that as a condition to re-open Rafah the way it was under the Muslim Brotherhood.
We won’t know if this truce will be worth it for years – if Hamas holds its fire and the fire of its partners. But we do know that Israel didn’t promise any of the things that Hamas is claiming.
(h/t Gidon)
Official Israel – Palestinian Ceasefire Details
More News on the War
IDF Successes in the Gaza War (Yediot Ahronot-Hebrew, 28 Aug 2014)
800-1,000 terrorists killed. 603 dead terrorists positively identified.
At least 3 top military leaders targeted. 28 mosques containing terrorist infrastructure destroyed.
5,000 buildings used by terrorists attacked. 3,000 Hamas rockets destroyed on the ground. 1,050 command posts destroyed.
Attacks via tunnels and from the sea thwarted.
Prime Minister Netanyahu Outlines Israel’s Achievements in the Gaza War (Prime Minister’s Office)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Israeli public on Wednesday:
- “Upon the establishment of the ceasefire, I can say that there is a major military achievement here, as well as a major diplomatic achievement for the State of Israel. Hamas was hit hard and it did not receive even a single one of the conditions that it set for a cease-fire.”
- “The goal was to strike hard at Hamas and the terrorist organizations and in so doing bring prolonged quiet to all Israeli citizens.”
- “We agreed…to carry out the humanitarian rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip, with supervisory mechanisms and oversight abilities in our hands. This is in order to prevent the entry of weapons or materials that could be used to produce weapons.”
- “Hamas is also isolated diplomatically. We received international legitimacy from the global community. First of all, we received 50 days for very strong action against the terrorist organizations. This was substantial. I think that we also instilled in the international community the fact that Hamas, ISIS and al-Qaeda and other extremist Islamic terrorist organizations are members of the same family.”
- “We also instilled the understanding that the long-term goal is the demilitarization of Hamas and the terrorist organizations, the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.”
- “Will we achieve our goal for prolonged calm? I think it is still too early to say, but I can say that the harsh blow that Hamas and the terrorist organizations have taken, as well as our ability, via border controls, to prevent their rearming, increase the chances that this goal will be achieved….If it resumes firing, we will not tolerate sporadic firing at any part of the State of Israel.”
Take Away Their Guns – Then We’ll Talk – Avigdor Lieberman
Hamas remains the biggest obstacle to any solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamas is not a legitimate political actor or interlocutor. The group has attained its power and control only through the barrel of a gun. Hamas seeks to achieve its long-stated goals of destroying the State of Israel and the genocide of the Jewish people through violent jihad and by disseminating fear, not just among Israelis, but also among Palestinians.
Israel fully supports a broad international effort to rebuild the civilian infrastructure and economy in Gaza, provided there is a concerted parallel effort to prevent Hamas from rearming itself with weapons systems and rebuilding its terrorist infrastructure. Ultimately, the best guarantee for rebuilding Gaza and developing its economy will be demilitarization. The writer is Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. (Foreign Policy)
- Defense Minister Ya’alon: Hamas Has Been Set Back by Years – Yaakov Lappin
Hamas and other Gazan terror organizations have absorbed severe blows and have been set back by years, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said Wednesday. “When the dust clears over the Gaza Strip, many difficult questions will be directed at Hamas’ heads following the severe, unprecedented blow that Israel landed on it.” He said Hamas leaders “were forced to cease fire, via a route that they did not want.” (Jerusalem Post)
See also below Observations: Prime Minister Netanyahu Outlines Israel’s Achievements in the Gaza War (Prime Minister’s Office)
- Hamas’ Humiliation – Avi Issacharoff
Hamas has been humiliatingly defeated. There is no other way of describing the cease-fire terms. It kept firing rockets until the last moment and proved a capacity for resilience. At the same time it should be remembered that Israel did not seek at any point to bring Hamas down.
Time and again Hamas leaders made promises to the Gaza public that this conflict would continue until the siege was lifted, and that there would be no return to the understandings that ended the fighting in Gaza in 2012. Time after time, they rejected the Egyptian initiative, which included, almost clause for clause, the elements of the 2012 agreement. Then, on Tuesday, it became clear that Hamas had capitulated, retreated with its tail between its legs, and abandoned everything it had insisted upon. (Times of Israel)
