War in Gaza: a view from Israel

 

War in Gaza: a view from Israel Peter Lyukimson, Israel. Exclusively for "Vestnik Kavkaza" On Friday night, August 1, the Israeli government decided to accept an offer from the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry and the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, to proclaim a 72-hour humanitarian truce in Gaza, starting from 8am on Friday (Israeli time). It is expected that during those 72 hours all parties to the conflict and mediators interested in its settlement will gather in Cairo to work out some kind of an agreement on a long-term ceasefire. However, no one knows what is actually going to happen.It is at least the fifth humanitarian truce declared in the last 10 days. All previous truces were declared on the initiative of Israel, to give Palestinians time to collect bodies of the dead, transport the wounded, and purchase necessary foods. However, during these truces Hamas continued to fire at Israel and quarters of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip. As a result, there were casualties among soldiers and Israeli civilians. During one such truce, Hamas militants executed 30 Palestinians in possession of Israeli mobile phone. Hamas concluded it meant they would be collaborating with the "Zionist enemy." Both sides continue to incur heavy losses, but if Israel has dozens killed, the number of dead Palestinians is almost 1,500. Even taking into account the fact that the list also includes victims of car accidents and criminal incidents, the figure is still very considerable. At the same time, at least 200 Palestinians were killed by Hamas and not Israel.The absurdity of the situation around the Gaza Strip is that many Israelis finding themselves in shelters are still sincerely sympathizing with the people of Gaza, many of whom have lost their loved ones and their homes.The number of people with a sympathetic attitude has largely increased after Israel saw video footage shot by a German TV crew. Reporters managed to capture a scene in which Palestinians are trying to leave their houses when they hear a bombing warning. On the video, one can see how Hamas activists drive them back inside with guns and weapons. It is impossible to watch this video without a feeling of horror. It seems as if it has been made on another planet. Life, as it turns out, can be much scarier than in movies like The Hunger Games and Divergent. Later, Israel received the news that the Hamas police fired at an anti-war demonstration killing 5 people and injuring dozens.Thus, with time it becomes clearer that many residents of the Gaza Strip have not been supporting Hamas for a long time and are victims of the regime. But the problem lies in the fact that Hamas continues to fire at Israel, targeting its airports, schools, hospitals, kindergartens and residential areas, coming to Israel via tunnels to kill its citizens. In such a situation, Israel has no other choice but to defend its sovereignty and its citizens. However, the Israeli leadership continues to look for ways to cease fire. As you know, it has been initially suggested to mutually cease fire. In the first two days Israel did not respond to attacks on its territory, and later declared that as soon as Gaza stops firing at  Israel, the country will establish a ceasefire.After that Egypt put forward its peace initiative. In exchange for a ceasefire it promised to open its border with the Gaza Strip. The proposal provided for a lifting of the blockade, but it was not Hamas who was to control the border but the authorities of the Palestinian Authority (PA). The latter condition was not welcomed by Hamas and the military conflict continued.Recently, the Egyptian initiative was supported by the United States, the UAE and Russia. However, Hamas put forward eight demands under the influence of Iran and refused to compromise. Negotiations on a long-term truce were supposed to begin as early as Thursday, July 31. However, Hamas officials did not appear that day in Cairo. Meanwhile, it is clear that the military and material resources of Hamas are already running out. Now it is trying to count on Hezbollah opening a second front in the north of Israel. Hamas has declared Friday August 1 "a day of anger" and urged Arab citizens of Israel and the Palestinian people to hold mass riots on August 1. Hamas hopes that Israel will not be able to fight on all four fronts, and will eventually agree to Hamas' conditions. Now the Israeli government is discussing the possibility of following the Egyptian initiative with a UN Security Council resolution that would include Israel's demand for demilitarization of the sector, elimination of the blockade and passing control over the border to the Palestinian authorities. It is hard to say what events are going to happen, but it is almost certain that people are going to die during the coming 72-hour truce.*** Israel has consistently pointed out that its war with Hamas does not mean a war on Islam or the Arab world. On the contrary, Israel's relations with Egypt are closer than ever. In recent weeks, despite the events in Gaza, contacts between Israel and Saudi Arabia are thriving. As previously reported by "Vestnik Kavkaza", in the last few months the idea of creating an anti-Iranian bloc composed of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait had been discussed in the Middle East.Israel is clearly on the brink of a global reconciliation with the Arab world and this is clear to everyone. At the same time, the Saudis openly say that it is extremely difficult for them to negotiate with Israel.In this regard, some observers have put forward a theory that the recent kidnappings and the murder of three Jewish teenagers, as well as the military confrontation in Gaza, were deliberately instigated by Iran with the aim of disrupting the process of normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab world. Well, anything is possible... 

 

Peter Lyukimson, Israel. Exclusively for "Vestnik Kavkaza" 

On Friday night, August 1, the Israeli government decided to accept an offer from the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry and the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, to proclaim a 72-hour humanitarian truce in Gaza, starting from 8am on Friday (Israeli time). It is expected that during those 72 hours all parties to the conflict and mediators interested in its settlement will gather in Cairo to work out some kind of an agreement on a long-term ceasefire. However, no one knows what is actually going to happen.

It is at least the fifth humanitarian truce declared in the last 10 days. All previous truces were declared on the initiative of Israel, to give Palestinians time to collect bodies of the dead, transport the wounded, and purchase necessary foods. However, during these truces Hamas continued to fire at Israel and quarters of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip. As a result, there were casualties among soldiers and Israeli civilians. During one such truce, Hamas militants executed 30 Palestinians in possession of Israeli mobile phone. Hamas concluded it meant they would be collaborating with the "Zionist enemy." 
Both sides continue to incur heavy losses, but if Israel has dozens killed, the number of dead Palestinians is almost 1,500. Even taking into account the fact that the list also includes victims of car accidents and criminal incidents, the figure is still very considerable. At the same time, at least 200 Palestinians were killed by Hamas and not Israel.
The absurdity of the situation around the Gaza Strip is that many Israelis finding themselves in shelters are still sincerely sympathizing with the people of Gaza, many of whom have lost their loved ones and their homes.
The number of people with a sympathetic attitude has largely increased after Israel saw video footage shot by a German TV crew. Reporters managed to capture a scene in which Palestinians are trying to leave their houses when they hear a bombing warning. On the video, one can see how Hamas activists drive them back inside with guns and weapons. It is impossible to watch this video without a feeling of horror. It seems as if it has been made on another planet. Life, as it turns out, can be much scarier than in movies like The Hunger Games and Divergent.

 Later, Israel received the news that the Hamas police fired at an anti-war demonstration killing 5 people and injuring dozens.Thus, with time it becomes clearer that many residents of the Gaza Strip have not been supporting Hamas for a long time and are victims of the regime. 
But the problem lies in the fact that Hamas continues to fire at Israel, targeting its airports, schools, hospitals, kindergartens and residential areas, coming to Israel via tunnels to kill its citizens. In such a situation, Israel has no other choice but to defend its sovereignty and its citizens. 
However, the Israeli leadership continues to look for ways to cease fire. As you know, it has been initially suggested to mutually cease fire. In the first two days Israel did not respond to attacks on its territory, and later declared that as soon as Gaza stops firing at  Israel, the country will establish a ceasefire.
After that Egypt put forward its peace initiative. In exchange for a ceasefire it promised to open its border with the Gaza Strip. The proposal provided for a lifting of the blockade, but it was not Hamas who was to control the border but the authorities of the Palestinian Authority (PA). The latter condition was not welcomed by Hamas and the military conflict continued.
Recently, the Egyptian initiative was supported by the United States, the UAE and Russia. However, Hamas put forward eight demands under the influence of Iran and refused to compromise.

 Negotiations on a long-term truce were supposed to begin as early as Thursday, July 31. However, Hamas officials did not appear that day in Cairo. Meanwhile, it is clear that the military and material resources of Hamas are already running out. Now it is trying to count on Hezbollah opening a second front in the north of Israel. Hamas has declared Friday August 1 "a day of anger" and urged Arab citizens of Israel and the Palestinian people to hold mass riots on August 1. Hamas hopes that Israel will not be able to fight on all four fronts, and will eventually agree to Hamas' conditions. Now the Israeli government is discussing the possibility of following the Egyptian initiative with a UN Security Council resolution that would include Israel's demand for demilitarization of the sector, elimination of the blockade and passing control over the border to the Palestinian authorities. 
It is hard to say what events are going to happen, but it is almost certain that people are going to die during the coming 72-hour truce.
*** 
Israel has consistently pointed out that its war with Hamas does not mean a war on Islam or the Arab world. On the contrary, Israel's relations with Egypt are closer than ever. In recent weeks, despite the events in Gaza, contacts between Israel and Saudi Arabia are thriving. As previously reported by "Vestnik Kavkaza", in the last few months the idea of creating an anti-Iranian bloc composed of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait had been discussed in the Middle East.
Israel is clearly on the brink of a global reconciliation with the Arab world and this is clear to everyone. At the same time, the Saudis openly say that it is extremely difficult for them to negotiate with Israel.
In this regard, some observers have put forward a theory that the recent kidnappings and the murder of three Jewish teenagers, as well as the military confrontation in Gaza, were deliberately instigated by Iran with the aim of disrupting the process of normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab world. 
Well, anything is possible...