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Why Israel Cannot Reach a Deal with Hamas

(Israel Hayom) Prof. Eyal Zisser - Hamas as a conventional army, with an offensive force capable of surprising Israel and striking it, has not existed for some time. Yet even after capturing Gaza City, that will not be enough to end the struggle with Hamas. There will always be some cleric who continues to preach jihad against Israel and there will always be a lone attacker or a terror cell in Gaza or even in the West Bank that seeks to carry out an act of terror. We assume it is possible to reach understandings with Hamas or even an agreement that will bring this war to an end, secure the release of our hostages, and dismantle the organization's armaments. However, as Ahmed Yassin, the organization's founder, explained: "We, unlike the Israelis, love death more than life." If that is the message, then death is a worthy and desirable price on the altar of jihad. If that is the way of thinking, exactly what kind of agreement can be reached with Hamas? The expectation that Hamas can be brought to raise a white flag is not realistic and cannot be relied upon. ISIS was defeated in Syria, but it did not raise a white flag. Hizbullah, too, was struck a heavy blow but did not raise a white flag and is waiting for an opportune moment to renew its terror activity. The writer is a lecturer in the Middle East History Department at Tel Aviv University.
2025-09-25 00:00:00
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