As Israel welcomes Israeli hostages back under the terms of a fragile cease-fire, it faces mounting pressure to address the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The future of its war against Hamas poses an increasingly difficult set of decisions for the country’s leaders.
They have been vowing to eliminate Hamas, the group that has controlled Gaza since 2007 and launched devastating attacks against Israel on Oct. 7. Furthermore, recovering all roughly 240 people kidnapped by Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups during this incident has been promised.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cited the importance of recovering hostages as a reason for supporting the pause in Israel’s ground invasion. He has also emphasized that the Israeli military is prepared to resume fighting once the cease-fire ends.
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However, the cease-fire deal provides a window for Hamas to reorganize and strengthen itself, making Israel’s goal of uprooting it more challenging. Also, Israel’s release of Palestinians from imprisonment or detention under the agreement has led to growing support for Hamas in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The extended cease-fire has facilitated the delivery of aid to more of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents, most of whom faced displacement and severe shortages of food, medicine, and fuel.
Current Status of Cease-Fire Agreement
Israel and Hamas have prolonged their brief truce from four to six days, as reported by Qatar, which has mediated the talks. Despite accusations of violations from each side, the agreement has, so far, held.
Hamas has released at least 60 Israeli hostages, while Israel has freed 180 imprisoned Palestinians. Additionally, separate negotiations have led to the release of 19 other hostages in Gaza.
Status of Israel’s Military Campaign
Prior to the cease-fire, Israel’s military had bombarded Gaza for weeks, targeting over 15,000 locations. The use of large weapons in densely populated areas resulted in a significant number of casualties and displacement, prompting international outcry.
Israel maintains that they are targeting Hamas throughout Gaza, including areas where members are embedded among civilians and in an extensive underground tunnel network.
Israeli forces have taken control of a portion of northern Gaza and have also closed in on Gaza’s hospitals. The military has sought to provide evidence of its claims through videos, showing parts of a tunnel shaft at the Shifa complex.
Ron Dermer, a member of Israel’s war Cabinet, stated that the military had killed “several thousand” Hamas fighters since the war began. More than 70 Israeli soldiers have also been killed.
Leadership of Hamas
Hamas has admitted the deaths of several commanders, including senior figures. The hard-line leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, is a top target for Israeli forces.
Israeli leaders have expressed a desire to avoid reoccupying Gaza after the war, but eliminating Hamas completely from the strip remains uncertain. Support for Hamas has grown in the West Bank, complicating the situation in the region.
The political leadership of Hamas remains beyond Israel’s reach, with Qatar hosting its leaders in Doha and mediating talks between Israel and Hamas alongside Egypt and the United States.
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