[January 20, 2025] It’s not going to work like the civilized world hoped. At least, the deal is not going to work the way Israel has announced. Here’s why. Hamas still exists, and their goal to destroy Israel remains front and center. Unless Hamas is completely destroyed, little will change.
“The person most needy of a deal is someone who takes negotiation personally and loses out on opportunities.” — Unknown
Israel needed more leverage before stepping up to the negotiating table. We are now discovering that Hamas was a long way from being defeated militarily, and their parades in the streets of Gaza are designed to flaunt that fact and put psychological pressure on the hostages’ families and, therefore, the Israeli government. Hamas has the upper hand in the negotiations, and they know it.
Hamas released three hostages yesterday, on Sunday, in exchange for 90 imprisoned Palestinians. Western countries will incorrectly interpret this as a sign of Hamas leaders’ desire to stick to their bargain. They smile, they release a few, they smile more, they hide behind their masks.
The tension for more releases will mount, and then Hamas will stall, make excuses, slow down future releases, and threaten to hold a few live hostages for much longer. In time, Hamas will break their deal. Hostages are Hamas’ only leverage, and everybody knows this. The Hamas rockets don’t have the same value, but a ceasefire is part of this deal for now.
I am of the old school that says the only way to stop your enemy from harming your country is to crush him utterly. That did not happen when Israel’s army swept through Gaza. Despite the government of Israel’s original and legitimate goal of wiping out Hamas, they relented to pressure from President Joe Biden and the UN. Hamas sees this as a principal weakness they will exploit to the fullest.
Furthermore, this deal sets Israel up for a future similar circumstance. The world now sees Israel is willing to compromise. They blinked when staring down Hamas.
The biggest mistake Israel made in this war was allowing humanitarian and food aid into Gaza. Water, power, communication signals, and the flow of all materials should have been cut immediately to create a siege. The backlash for doing so by the armchair quarterbacking West would be great but the result now is a pending failure, as we are about to see.
There is one ray of hope, however. That is President Donald Trump. Can Trump make a better deal that works? We shall see.
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Please read my books:
I don’t think this will last like so many HOPE it will. And as we all know, hope is not a plan, not even a marginal plan. 🇺🇸🇮🇱🇺🇸🇮🇱🇺🇸🇮🇱🇺🇸🇮🇱
I’M PESSIMISTIC
We shall see. Since we don’t yet know the details, its hard to compla. But this does initially appear to be a bad deal for Isreal as a country but good for some of the hostages and their families. The Israel govt should never give up their goal if destroying Hamas.
Israel ישראל @Israel
This entire family was burned alive by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
While you scroll and read about the hostage deal and ceasefire, don’t forget how this war began.
We stand with the families of the victims and hostages who relive October 7 every single day.
Never forget.
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I agree. This is a bad deal.
“ Israel sends report to UN on ‘brutal’ treatment used by terrorists against hostages in Gaza”
https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-sends-report-un-brutal-treatment-used-terrorists-hostages-gaza
My opinion, the Hamas terrorists are slime and should be exterminated like the cockroaches they are. And the so-called Palestinian people in Gaza who supported them need to suffer for their effort to allow a killing machine to operate in their neighborhoods. 🇮🇱
Let us all 🙏 pray that all hostages alive are returned quickly and unharmed.
Sadly, Gen. Satterfield, I think you just might be right. I hate to be pessimistic but history of Hamas leads me to the same conclusion.
I think, like Gen. Satterfield mentioned, that Israel’s main hope at this point is President Donald Trump. Trump becomes president TODAY – Jan 20, 2025. He promised to get the hostages out and he is a man of his word. Already Hamas agreed to a ceasefire and to release hostages. But wil, it last. Like Gen. S., I don’t think so. I already know how Hamas thinks and that is why I immigrated legally to America.
Welcome to America.
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