We were told that this time it would not look the same. That we will not receive regular updates about our fate from the foreign networks. The time of the end of the war will be announced by the army. The maneuver measures will be announced by the Cabinet. And here are 1400 dead, not a round, but a war, and the Israeli government acts as if responsibility for our fate is entrusted to an international board of directors, headed by the United States.
Biden in special statement: "We will not abandon Israel" // Reuters
Last night, we were required to follow Hamas' announcements regarding the fate of two abductees who were released late at night: Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, and Nurit Cooper, 80. According to foreign reports, the contacts for the release of the abductees do not pass through Israel, but through governments concerned about the fate of their citizens (22 different nationalities) who are negotiating the return of the abductees with Hamas patrons in Qatar.
To add to the Israeli demise reflected, a political source also announced yesterday that "Israel will not be a party to the selection for the release of abductees holding foreign passports."
After all, this is an omission. Israel is not a "party" to any deal. It is the landlord, the government and its leader are supposed to return the hostages and conduct the fighting, not be a party at any stage.
President Biden and abductees Yehudit and Natalie Raanan who were released, photo: AP, Twitter account of the US president.
As in the humanitarian aid story, Israel, by not running the business, allows aid into Gaza, even though it announced from the outset that no such aid would be provided. Then another political source comes out and announces that the aid will not be transferred through Israel but through Egypt. Now it is not participating in deals over its head, which in practice divides between prisoners in Gaza and those whose lives are worth more (those with foreign passports) and those ordinary Israelis whose lives turn out to be worth much more.
The Israeli government has a prime minister and a war cabinet, and the decisions made there must obligate anyone who pushes his hands into our shameful business: if abductees are released, it will be according to the priorities dictated by Israel – logically we would like to see children first, of course, and under no circumstances should Israel allow a situation in which only passport holders or only civilians return here, while our soldiers remain in the inferno of Hamas' Nazi monsters.
Terrorists on their way from Gaza to Israel, Photo: AFP
It seems as if time has stagnated in the cabinet, I don't hear of any creative moves, even there they are waiting for Hamas orders instead of creating pressure. If you look for where to start, you can go to Qatar, which is the main funder of terrorism as well as of Hamas directly. If she owns the house and is so anxious about her fate, Israel will start exporting our intelligence materials about the state's support for Hamas and its murderous terror. We will cease only when all our men are released.
Lastly, the decision to continue crushing Gaza from the air is the right one. A ground incursion will be carried out only when the target bank is exhausted from the air, and only after the Cabinet and the IDF ensure that the ground incursion will be possible with minimal casualties.
Israeli strike in Gaza, photo: AFP
Alongside this statement, referring to the plethora of reports in the foreign media about American involvement in Israel's war moves, including explicit demands to act in accordance with American interests, the prime minister should make a clear statement today that the person who is waging this war, and in accordance with our interests, is together with the War Cabinet and the government, and not any foreign entity, even if its president is sympathetic to us at this very difficult time.
Netanyahu with Galant and the Chief of Staff, Photo: GPO
In the meantime, it seems that local decisions are being pushed aside one by one – from humanitarian to dealing with the issue of abductees in a way that could delay Israel from winning the battle.
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