AP - Hamas says Gaza cease-fire reached with Israel
The AP reports: "Gaza’s Hamas rulers said late Thursday that a truce had been reached
with Israel, ending an intense two-day burst of violence that had pushed
the region closer to war. But the deal did not appear to address the
deeper issues that have prevented the bitter enemies from reaching a
longer cease-fire arrangement. [...] the agreement merely ended the
latest round of violence, in which Gaza militants fired some 200 rockets
at Israel and the Israeli military carried out a similar number of
airstrikes in Gaza. He said Egypt, which often serves as a mediator
between the sides, would continue the more difficult task of brokering a
long-term cease-fire. [...] Israel and Hamas have fought three wars
since the Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007."
Comment: There is a very important difference between now and when the last three wars were fought between Israel and Hamas. Today we don't know what will happen in the north if Israel fights a war in the south. If Gaza erupts into a full fledged war, what will those Iranian troops and Islamic militias do just over the international border in Syria? Will they be tempted to open a second front and challenge Israel in the north to support Hamas? I know there are many who think that if Israel and Hamas have another war that's not a very big deal, but the situation has changed greatly and I think it will indeed be a very big deal.
No comments:
Post a Comment