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Hamas' Ceasefire Game Plan: Outlast Israel and Survive

(Wall Street Journal) Rory Jones - Hamas leaders are heading into a temporary ceasefire with a singular mission: survival. "The most important thing for now is to guarantee their survival," Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, former head of research in IDF military intelligence, said of Hamas. The group, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., hopes it can release hostages gradually, turning "this entire idea of defeating Hamas into something that will never happen." Hamas leaders already believe they scored a big victory with the Oct. 7 attacks just by inflicting a military blow on Israel and by keeping its senior leaders safe from the Israeli invasion. Israeli commentator Ehud Yaari, a fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the Israeli military believes Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and his senior commanders are now located in Hamas' tunnel network in southern Gaza. "For Hamas, if the battle stops before Khan Yunis [the largest city in southern Gaza] is attacked, they are still left standing on their feet. Israeli military officials say they know Hamas' ideology can't be eliminated but argue it is possible to eradicate the group's ability to wage war and govern Gaza.
2023-11-26 00:00:00
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