The last day in the Gaza Strip was marked by a return to normal. The authorities and government agencies resumed operations, residents went out to get some air in Gaza's cafes and beach, and students returned to school. There was a lot of traffic on the streets after the tensions of the past few days. Residents rushed to work, others went to markets and shopping centers, whether shopping or recharging their batteries and "flipping on" to the return to "normalcy."
The Palestinian street in the Gaza Strip doesn't even try to hide their despair. They despair of everything – Hamas, Jihad, the Palestinian Authority and the situation in general. The partial arrangement led over the past year by Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, instills hope among the residents and contributes to moving the economy.
Destruction in Gaza, Photo: AP
Hamas does not provide certainty to Gazans
But, at the same time, they tell of a constant feeling of fragility in the shadow of life from round to round. "All of this could collapse in an instant. No one ever knows what will happen to him tomorrow, in a month or a year." The public in Gaza itself lives in a paradox. On the one hand, he wants the routine of exhausting rounds to stop, while on the other hand he expresses support for the "resistance," thereby legitimizing the terrorist organizations in Gaza to continue their struggle against Israel.
Hamas does not provide certainty to the residents and factions in Gaza, and in the meantime is trying to buy quiet from them through the economic-civilian measures it receives from Israel. For now, Sinwar is signaling that he is "flowing" with the give-and-take method, and is willing to accept from the Israelis what they are willing to give him. But let us not be confused – he did not give up on the "grand arrangement," the plan to build a port and large projects to rehabilitate the Gaza Strip. In the meantime, he is satisfied with what he has, but the day is not far off when he will reach a sense of fulfillment and want more.
When that happens, it is likely that he will make sure to convey a resounding message to Israel, and not necessarily through quiet and diplomatic channels. "The new Sinwar – the pragmatist and strategist" is counting on Israel rewarding him with grace in memory of the "good old days" when he stood aside and left jihad to fight alone.
Demolitions in Gaza, photo: AFP
Palestinian Officials: Jihad Does Not Accept Tactical Dictates
Hamas is aware that it cannot crown itself as the undisputed winner of the last round in Gaza. With the exception of bragging slogans, he has no list of actual achievements he can enumerate. It was a campaign of Islamic Jihad from beginning to end. The stage was entirely his, both in the fighting and in the direct negotiations that his men conducted with the Egyptians. With this, Hamas can still live in peace. What it will not be able to tolerate is a situation in which jihad will reap the primacy and succeed in positioning itself as the defender of Jerusalem and the Palestinian people.
And a word about Iran. Palestinian sources say that despite its role in the "regional resistance axis" and its support for Islamic Jihad, the group does not accept tactical dictates from it regarding its moves in the Gaza Strip, and its members enjoy relative freedom of action.
The recent rounds of confrontation have created a constructive dialogue between members of the jihad's political leadership abroad, including Secretary General Ziad Nakhala, and Egyptian intelligence. Facing each other, they sat in the closed room until white smoke came out.
This in itself may be a positive signal of Cairo's ability to harness the "Iranian organization" and exert leverage over it. At a time when Iran incites to terrorism in every possible arena and urges its proxies to confront Israel and destabilize the region, this looks like a significant Egyptian achievement.
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