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Gaza Pandemic Fears Force Calm
(Ha'aretz) Amos Harel - Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader in Gaza, is the one who deliberately heated up the arena. A month ago, Sinwar thought he detected Israeli weakness, stemming from a combination of the growing number of Covid-19 infections and Israeli domestic unrest. This led him to start applying pressure. Hamas military squads launched hundreds of explosive balloons, while most of the rockets were fired by other factions. Israel says the harsh IDF response induced Hamas to halt their fire. Hamas attributes the deal to its steadfast resistance. Another explanation is that over the last two weeks there has been a sharp rise in coronavirus infections in Gaza, which is now dealing with 300 Covid-19 patients, despite determined steps taken to quarantine anyone returning to Gaza from abroad. Under these circumstances, Hamas has lost its zest for battle.