Top Israeli security officials believe that Hamas will try to carry out a large attack in the next few weeks in order to hinder the progress of hostage release/ceasefire talks, Channel 12 News reported late Motzei Shabbos.
The attack could be against IDF soldiers in Gaza, near the Israeli-Gazan border, or in Yehudah and Shomron.
Meanwhile, contrary to reports that Hamas dropped its demand for Israel to commit to ending the war in Gaza as part of the hostage release talks, Hamas is insisting that Israel provide a written commitment to hold talks for a permanent end to the war once the first phase of the deal begins.
Mossad chief Dedi Barnea told mediators in Doha over the weekend that Hamas must agree to the proposal without any changes, Ynet reported.
According to a New York Times report over the weekend, Barnea stressed that Hamas’s new demand is a major deviation from the proposal and will allow Hamas to drag out negotiations indefinitely, leading to a de-facto ceasefire without the return of all the hostages.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
One Response
This is why military action was a complete waste of time and resources, and in fact inflamed anti-Semitism around the world. Israel has spent untold millions on this war and has sacrificed the lives of hundreds of soldiers. Hamas should not be in ANY position to mount ANY kind of attack, to say nothing of a “major attack”. Like the Viet Cong and other guerilla armies, Hamas cannot be defeated with guns. The leaders have to be knocked off – cut off the head and the serpent dies.