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Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/comment/2025/01/16/gaza-ceasefire-deal-bad-hamas-survives/
Nobody Should Be Surprised When Israel Resumes Its War
(Telegraph-UK) Col. Richard Kemp - Netanyahu's objective remains total victory over Hamas and Iran's terrorist axis that seeks the annihilation of the Jewish state. Having largely eliminated Hamas's military capability over the last 15 months we have now reached the stage where the priority is to free the remaining 94 hostages. It has so far proven impossible to release more than a handful by direct military force. The presence of the hostages has been a drag-anchor in the campaign and prevented Hamas's total destruction. The terrorists know this only too well: that was exactly the reason they kidnapped them on Oct. 7. Those who are horrified by this deal are right to highlight its grave risks. It seems to involve release of more than a thousand Palestinian terrorists in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages. And a cessation will give Hamas some opportunity to regroup and rebuild its capabilities. Above all, it leaves Hamas in a position to maintain its stranglehold on Gaza's population. That would certainly be disastrous and the eventual eradication or survival of Hamas will be the true measure of the success of this ceasefire. The writer, a former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, was chairman of the UK's national crisis management committee, COBRA.