In the closed discussions, almost all politicians believe that Israel should go to a Hamas deal • But a month before the election no one is prepared to portray "weak" - neither in Likud nor in white blue • The IDF remains the "responsible adult", but any rocket or assault in Gaza could Deteriorate into widespread conflict

• Disgraceful conduct // Photos: Reuters, Miri Tzachi, Yossi Seliger

There is no nice or pleasant way to say it: what has happened in the Gaza envelope in recent days is no less than obnoxious.

While the State of Israel was engaged in the release of Naama Issachar, the residents of the envelope entered the protected areas, sometimes leaving them four times a day. In most cases shooting (mostly mortars) is not life threatening, but it is less important. The leadership and the media were much more concerned with the fate of one girl who passed the law than the fate of tens of thousands of citizens who are victims of a situation that can be resolved.

Photo by Itamar Ben Shimol, Shaika Shaked

A bit of order: Israel and Hamas were already very close to agreeing on the series, or as it is currently called, to avoid the appearance of a formal agreement between the parties - a lull. There is no Israeli, political or security official who did not understand the need for an agreement with Hamas not only to restore peace to the sector, but mainly in the understanding that continuing the existing state of "drips" of rockets and explosives would inevitably drag Israel into an uninterested military campaign.

Against this background, Israel gave Egypt a green light to advance the talks. Most understandings were formulated and received the Hamas blessing. Israel also agreed to them and even began to do quite a few of the things that they entailed - for example, the introduction of medicines, tires, cement and more into the Gaza Strip, but it did not make the final move - convening the Cabinet and making a formal decision approving the agreement.

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• Third evening in a row: Dispatch from Gaza to the surrounding communities

• A mother and her home were injured while running to the protected space

• Tonight, too, is the launch of explosive balloons from Gaza

The defense establishment will not say this explicitly, but the reason is clear: the elections. No politician wants to look like a surrender to a terrorist organization on the eve of the election. Neither the prime minister nor the defense minister, nor the blue and white heads. Everyone understands the need for regulation and supports it, but four weeks before Election Day, they take a sparkling line that goes against everything they support in closed rooms.

Hamas, which is desperate for a series so that it can begin rebuilding the Gaza Strip, fully understands that, as in the past, the only way to pressure Israel is through fire. Although he is not directly responsible for any of the recent acts of terrorism, he does give a green light (or turn a blind eye) to the dozens of cases of ballooning and the steep shooting of the route to Israel.

As mentioned, in most cases there was no direct danger to Israeli life. With the exception of the Sderot shooting, most of the rocket fire appears to have been deliberately carried out in open areas (and much of it fell on the Strip), and police terrorists say the balloon-blasting element is amateurish and highly doubtful that it could have caused real damage. And yet, the risk always exists, and the physical damage isn't the only price the envelope residents pay, though: The endless running of commuters, day and night, has an incremental price that requires resolution.

The only adult in the field

In the absence of politicians' responsibility, the only adult IDF remains in the field. Southern Command General Herzli Halevi has become the unofficial father of the residents, who along with the Soviet leaders is trying to calm the spirits. It is doubtful that he will succeed, just as he doubts whether the air force attacks will deter him. Continued firing and ballooning, although some of the attacks were significant (especially that carried out on Thursday night at Hamas' defensive underground infrastructure), Hamas now has no other alternative.

These events have nothing to do with "The Century Plan" released this week. Gaza does not like what it says - certainly not the part that talks about disarming Hamas and returning the Palestinian Authority to the Gaza Strip - but know that the prospect of the plan being implemented in the immediate term is slim. There were also only protests in the Judea and Samaria program, with the exception of one violent demonstration (with about 2,000 people) at the Taysir checkpoint in the northern valley, as well as only dozens of people attending demonstrations in other locations in the West Bank. This also contributed to the early preparatory work of the IDF, which included Reinforcing forces and also separating soldiers and demonstrators, in order to avoid casualties and the burning of spirits.

Given the relative calm as a result of the agreement, Gaza remains Israel's main headache at the moment. The political echelon is committed to providing a solution, precisely because it understands the need to invest most of its military power in an effort to prevent Iranian activity in the northern region. Failure to do so will have the opposite effect: it will captivate the IDF into Gaza (at the expense of the north) and may even drag it into an unwanted clash there, and most importantly - it will exaggerate the leadership's basic commitment to provide the residents with quiet and security.