(Wall Street Journal) Editorial - Under heavy U.S. pressure last week, Israel accepted a "final bridging proposal" for a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza also supported by Egypt and Qatar. Yet Hamas refused even to show up for the negotiations in Doha, and on Sunday it outright rejected the U.S. compromise. A main sticking point is the Philadelphi Corridor, separating Gaza and Egypt. Israel insists on keeping forces there to prevent Hamas from rearming. Hamas insists Israel leave, because it wants to rearm. Neither the Palestinian Authority nor Egypt can be trusted to control the corridor and thwart Hamas. Israel has discovered more than a dozen tunnels from Gaza into Egypt, including one big enough for military jeeps to pass through. Israel cannot countenance a deal that would let Hamas go back to plotting and preparing for the next Oct. 7 massacre.
2024-08-20 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive