Operation Protective Edge: DAY 42

The five day cease-fire Egypt brokered last week, the longest to date, ended on Monday, August 18^th. During that time the indirect negotiations in Cairo continued, with Egypt presenting a compromise proposal that would essentially extend the temporary cease-fire indefinitely, on a basis of “quiet for quiet”, while the sides continued to finalize an agreed framework of understandings that will serve as a foundation for extensive negotiations over a long-term truce arrangement.
 

This cease-fire held for almost the full five days. But as the midnight hour approached on Monday, both sides gave conflicting statements about the progress of the talks. Egypt suggested another extension for 24 hours.

Hamas announced that unless it got what it wanted, rocket fire would renew at the stroke of midnight. Prime Minister Netanyahu said that if it did, Israel’s reactions would become incrementally harsher. 

Hamas suggested that “unless Netanyahu capitulates” to its demands regarding a seaport, airport, ending the Israeli/Egyptian Blockade, freeing prisoners, ending “targeted assassinations” etc., it may conduct a “war of attrition” – a few rockets a day to different areas of Israel - just enough to disrupt life, and maybe score more public relations points if Israel’s response caused civilian deaths. The IDF’s response: “Attrition” (Hatasha in Hebrew) will be answered with “pulverization” (Haktasha).

It seems like someone in Hamas did not get, or did not want to get the message. Three hours before Monday’s midnight cease-fire deadline five rockets were launched towards Beer Sheva and Netivot. Israel responded with accurate fire towards the launch sites. Four more rockets and several mortar shells were fired towards Israeli communities in the Western Negev area. Iron Dome intercepted two rockets above the city of Netivot; the others fell in open areas. 

Despite energetic Egyptian efforts to renew the cease-fire for another 24 hours, claiming that the sides were “very close” and an agreement – Netanyahu immediately recalled the Israeli delegates, who were seen leaving the hotel. However according to my sources, as of this writing, (Monday, 1:00PM CST, 900PM Jerusalem/Cairo time), they have not yet left Cairo. 

Hamas is blaming Israel’s intransigence on the seaport issue (does that mean that everything else is resolved?), while Israel is blaming the rocket fire this evening, reaffirming the “no negotiations under fire” policy. 

Both these excuses are easily remedied:

1. Hamas can, if it wants to, stop all rocket fire from Gaza, regardless of the group firing. 
2. Israel has already agreed to include wording in the interim cease-fire document that essentially removes opposition to a future seaport.

What this tells me is that for some reason Hamas commanders in Gaza were ordered by their political leaders, who are hiding out in luxury in Qatar, to slow things down for a day or two until they figure out the ramifications of the Egyptian proposal which the two sides were reportedly about to sign in Cairo on Monday night or Tuesday morning. 

If that’s the case, then this is just a short delay before the quiet-for-quiet doctrine kicks in and the residents of Gaza get considerable help in rebuilding and developing an economy, with many less restrictions, an expanded fishing area, freer flow of goods and people to both Egypt and Israel, and an extended period of security and stability. 

If not – then Friday will be Day 45 of the war, and Saturday will be Day 46, and Israelis will continue to run for shelters at “red alert”, and Gaza’s civilians will continue to pay the price of their leaders’ reckless fanaticism and obsession with death, and the IDF will continue to defeat the enemy…unfortunately at an ever growing cost to the soldiers, who are defending their homes and their families.