Amid hostage releases, Israel faces dilemma over resuming the war
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JERUSALEM – As Israel and Hamas completed the second exchange of hostages and prisoners on the evening of Nov 25, Israeli leaders faced a dilemma over whether to restart their military campaign in the Gaza Strip once the four-day truce ends on the morning of Nov 28.
By early morning on Nov 26, Israel said it had received 13 Israeli hostages
The exchange was the latest part of an agreement that allows for a pause in fighting to be extended.
Since Nov 24, Hamas has freed 26 Israelis, 14 Thai nationals and one Filipino citizen. Israel has so far released 78 Palestinian women and children.
Israel has said it is prepared to grant another day’s pause for every 10 hostages Hamas releases beyond the 50 outlined in the agreement, but Hamas has not responded to the offer.
“The question is: On Day Five, does Israel resume the war?” said Mr Alon Pinkas, an Israeli political commentator and former senior diplomat.
An extension that allows for more hostage releases could give further relief to Israelis who see the hostages’ freedom as the country’s biggest immediate priority.
That sentiment could spread more widely among Israelis as each day of the ceasefire passes and more hostages are freed.
“And Hamas knows this very well,” said Dr Shira Efron, a senior researcher at Israel Policy Forum, a New York-based political research group. “They’re going to play with Israel and say, ‘Oh, we found another five kids. If you give us another day, there are a few in the north that we can find.’”
But a longer pause could jeopardise the primary goal of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza: the destruction of Hamas, the armed group that launched the Oct 7 raid that killed an estimated 1,200 people
If the ceasefire lasts longer than four days, Hamas – which controlled all of the Gaza Strip until Israel invaded it in October – would have more time to regroup, allowing it to mount a fiercer defence when and if Israel renews its military campaign.
An extended ceasefire could also create more opportunities for other countries – particularly the United States – to pressure Israel to scale back its military goals.
The Israeli response to the Oct 7 attack has killed around 15,000 in Gaza, according to health officials there, leading to rising alarm among its allies about the conduct of its campaign.
US President Joe Biden, speaking on Nov 24, said the chances are real that the pause could open the door to a longer ceasefire.
Debate over the future of the war was unfolding as Hamas and Israel indicated they had forged ahead with a second exchange of hostages after an hours-long delay earlier on Nov 25 raised fears that the fragile deal could collapse.
In addition to allowing hostage and prisoner exchanges, the deal has also allowed more aid into Gaza. An Israeli blockade has largely prevented food, water, fuel and medicine from entering, causing a humanitarian crisis for the 2.3 million Palestinians who live there.
NYTIMES
