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The Deal with Hamas: Hostages Exchanged for Killers, Jihadis Diminished but Not Gone
(Jewish Chronicle-UK) Maj. (ret.) Andrew Fox - There was always going to be a deal with Hamas. When neither side can eliminate the other at an acceptable cost, wars end in bargains with enemies. Any plan that assumes swift moderation of Gazans is wishful thinking; if change comes, it will be generational and will not be dependent on moral exhortation from abroad. What is new is a lattice of external guarantees, with Qatari, Egyptian and Turkish security commitments. That makes it harder for Israel to re-enter Gaza at will. It also binds Hamas to patrons it cannot afford to alienate. Yet, Hamas remains in Gaza. Even if it yields front-stage administration, it will try to retain influence behind the scenes. For now, though, it is militarily neutered and unlikely to mount serious attacks any time soon. The writer, who served in the British Army in 2005-21, is a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society and a lecturer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.