If I were Israel, I would choose a weakened Hamas in Somalia, for two reasons.
I am under no illusion that the morning after the ceasefire begins and Sinwar steps out, some people will cheer him wildly for the hurt he has caused Israel. But the next morning, Sinwar will face harsh questions from the people of Gaza: Where is my home, where is my job, who gives you the power to subject my children to death and destruction? ?
It was the best punishment I could imagine for Sinwar. Let him own all of Gaza’s troubles that he has recklessly exacerbated – not Israel. Only the Palestinians can delegitimize Hamas, and while it won’t be easy, and Hamas will kill anyone to hold on to power, this time we won’t just be talking about a handful of dissidents. ants.
Amira Hass, a reporter familiar with Palestinian issues for Haaretz, recently wrote a story based on telephone interviews with Gazans, with this headline: “‘People keep cursing Sinwar’: Gazans who oppose Hamas are certain they are the majority.”
It reads: “The donkey cart loaded with people and mattresses is one of the scenes of the war in Gaza and the current siege. Basel (a pseudonym I’ve used for everyone in this article) says: “More than once, I’ve heard an owner push his donkey forward and say things like, ‘Move it. go, Yahya Sinwar, move it’. … Yes, Israel bombs and kills, Basel said, but he refused to absolve Hamas of responsibility for the disaster that befell the people of Gaza. cursed Sinwar, but this is not reflected in the journalists’ reports,’ he said. “I know that I represent a lot of people,” Basel said. ‘I have the right to speak out, if only because I am one of the millions whose lives Hamas is gambling on crazy slogans with no basis in reality.’”
At the present time, if that happens, when Israel leaves Gaza and brings the hostages back, the Biden team has talked to Egypt about working closely with the US and Israel to ensure Hamas never could smuggle the weapons they did too. in the past under the Egypt-Gaza border. Israel can say that every ounce of food and medicine the people of Gaza need will be delivered, as well as bags of cement for reconstruction from countries that might want to help. But if an ounce is found that will dig new attack tunnels, rebuild missile factories or restart missile attacks on Israel, the border will close. Once again, let Sinwar solve that dilemma: Return to Hamas’s old ways and starve its people – or continue the ceasefire.
