Israeli efforts to impose the death penalty… and a representative calls for burning Gaza
While Israeli and American figures began to warn against arrogant positions that call for war only on the basis of “if force fails, then more force”, ministers and representatives of the far right launched into hysterical declarations calling for the razing of Gaza and stop the ongoing negotiations with Hamas for a prisoner exchange agreement. A group of representatives of the ruling right-wing camp also took the initiative to call for a law that would impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of terrorism in courts “until the phenomenon of prisoners and swap deals disappears.” .
These statements come in light of the spread of the news of Israel’s approval of the American request to bring 60,000 liters of fuel to international institutions operating in the relief efforts in the Gaza Strip. Although the Gaza Strip’s fuel needs reach one million liters per day under normal circumstances, and that this fuel will only be used for urgent emergency purposes, particularly for hospitals, Israeli officials considered the move “a submission to Hamas… and an insult to the army, the government and the Israeli people”.
Negotiations with Hamas
In a post on the “X” platform (formerly Twitter), Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who holds the position of second minister in the Ministry of Defense, attacked the government for even having held negotiations with “Hamas”, saying: “ After 41 days, Yahya Sinwar (the head of Hamas) is still… In Gaza) we are unable to conduct negotiations and determine the conditions for the release of the hostages, which means we are not in the right direction; It is time for the war cabinet to start spreading force, cutting off communications, and proving this Nazi with actions, and from now on we alone will set the conditions.”
Smotrich continued: “Above all, we must show him that we are determined to completely destroy him and his organization.” We should have refused long ago to negotiate and speak with him except with fire and sword, until he ran after us and begged to make a deal with us. This is the only way to return all the abducted people and restore security in the State of Israel. Therefore we will not stop until we win.”
Put your finger in your eyes
Internal Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said the decision to bring fuel to Gaza was like putting a finger in the eye: painful, wrong and dangerous. Likud Party MP Nissim Faturi said: “Israel’s concern over deals with Hamas and cutting off the internet or introducing fuel indicates that we have learned nothing. We are too humanitarian: Gaza should be burned with fuel, not with fuel put into it. Our policy must be no water and no fuel until they release our prisoners.”
Avigdor Lieberman, head of the opposition “Israel Our Home” party, said he did not want to start a discussion with Netanyahu, but rather remind him of what he said just 10 days ago, when he declared that “not a single liter of fuel will enter without the release of the kidnapped Israelis.” The Israeli army had announced that it had almost completely completed the first phase of the ground war against Hamas and was now moving towards the second phase, stating: “If we are allowed to continue, we have the will, the preparation and the capabilities to continue” . war until we achieve its goal of destroying (Hamas) capabilities.”
Assassination of leaders
Army spokesman Daniel Hagari said his forces had achieved new successes, revealing that Hamas had used “Al-Shifa” as a headquarters for its operations and as a hideout for some hostages, and had kidnapped the bodies of two hostages Israelis from the hospital. He said his forces dealt a heavy blow to senior second-rate Hamas leaders, namely Ahmed Ghandour, Rawhi Mushtaha, Samer Abu Siraj, Issam Delis and Ayman Siyam, “who we are checking to see if they died as a result of our operations.” The assassination of Ahmed Bahr, head of the Palestinian Legislative Council of the Hamas movement, was announced on Friday.
In his speech, the phrase “If given the opportunity…” attracted attention, as observers saw it as an indication that Israel was beginning to come under pressure to stop the war. Israeli newspapers Yedioth Ahronoth and Haaretz linked this statement to the visit of the commander of the American Central Command, General Michael Eric Corella, to Tel Aviv on Friday, for talks with Israeli officials about the war in the Gaza Strip and the ongoing escalation. in the border areas with Lebanon, as well as the escalation in the West Bank.
An American warning against expanding the war
The Walla website said Thursday evening, quoting two senior Israeli officials: “This is the second visit of the high-ranking American general to Israel since the start of the war in Gaza. This comes in the context of efforts by US President Joe Biden’s administration to deter Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah and prevent the war in Gaza from turning into a regional war. He underlined “the US administration’s concerns that the continuation of operations in Gaza and the Israeli army’s operations in Lebanon, which have intensified in the last two weeks, will lead to a serious escalation against (Hezbollah) and the opening of a second front” against Israel.
Collapse of all hypotheses
For his part, Ehud Barak, former Israeli prime minister, warned against the government’s policy of “turning its back on its greatest ally, the United States, and banging its head against the wall.” He said that October 7 will be written in Israeli history not only as the most dangerous failure in the history of the state, but also as the collapse of many of Netanyahu’s assumptions, such as the assumption that “Hamas is an asset, and the Authority it’s a burden.” Even the assumption that he would find the path to peace with the Arab world collapsed, in light of the Palestinians’ neglect. The assumption that the United States could be underestimated and deceived, as Netanyahu did with Obama and Biden, also collapsed. The hypothesis of the “Master of Security” who for 15 years has been talking about overthrowing the Hamas movement has collapsed. In exchange for all these collapses, Netanyahu found himself funneling $1.5 billion to Hamas, and is now facing the most horrific results. In the end, the hypothesis that the leader was of “other rank” collapsed: he was wrong in evaluating Sinwar, Putin, Obama and Trump, and now he is wrong about Biden.
Therefore, Barak calls for the end of Netanyahu’s rule and the search for another way that will emerge with a new, healthy and strong leadership that on the one hand will discourage Hamas and others like it, but on the other hand will pave the way for global peace in region, with the entire Arab world without ignoring the Palestinian issue, according to the two-state solution.