If I were Israel, I would support a weakened Hamas against Somalia for two reasons.
I have no illusions that the morning after the ceasefire begins and Sinwar comes out, there will be people who will be enthusiastically rooting for him, celebrating the hurt he has inflicted on Israel. But the next morning, Shinwar faces brutal interrogations from Gazans: Where is my home, where is my job, who gave you the right to subject my children to death and misery?
That’s the best punishment I can imagine for Sinwar. Let him, not Israel, own all of the suffering in Gaza that he recklessly exacerbated. Only the Palestinians can delegitimize Hamas, and it won’t be easy, and Hamas will kill anyone to gain power, but this time we’re not talking about a handful of dissidents.
Amira Hass, a reporter who covers Palestinian issues for Haaretz newspaper, recently wrote an article based on telephone interviews with Gazans with the headline: She said, “‘People are constantly cursing Shinwar’: Gazans who oppose Hamas are convinced that they are in the majority.”
This is what was written there: “Donkey carts full of people and mattresses are one of the sights of the war and current siege in Gaza. “I’ve heard him say that many times,” says Basel (I’m using a pseudonym in this article, so I’m using it for everyone). …Yes, Israel is bombing and killing, Basel says, but refuses to absolve Hamas of responsibility for the catastrophe that has befallen Gazans. “People are constantly cursing Sinwar, but… “That’s not reflected in journalists’ reporting,” he says. “I know I speak for a lot of people,” Basel says. “I have the right to speak out, simply because I am one of the millions of people who are risking their lives for Hamas’ crazy slogans that have no basis in reality.”
In the meantime, if Israel escapes from Gaza and takes back the hostages, the Biden team is already talking with Egypt about working closely with the U.S. and Israel to ensure that Hamas can never again smuggle arms like it did in the past. . Formerly under the border between Egypt and Gaza. Israel can say it will receive all the food and medicine Gazans need, as well as bags of cement for reconstruction from countries that may want to help. But if it turns out that even one ounce can be used to dig new attack tunnels, rebuild rocket factories, or renew rocket attacks against Israel, the border will be closed. Again, let Shinwar deal with that dilemma. Either go back to Hamas’ old ways and starve the people, or maintain a ceasefire.
