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Hamas Is Asking Israel to End the War and Leave It to Fight Another Day

(Telegraph-UK) Col. Richard Kemp - When one side in a negotiation offers terms it knows the opposite side can't possibly accept, it means they are not interested in a deal. This is precisely what Hamas has done in the latest negotiations over a ceasefire in return for release of Israeli hostages. They are effectively asking Israel to end the war and leave what remains of the terrorist organization to fight another day. What is unclear is the extent to which the leaders outside Gaza who are doing the negotiating are in agreement on the issue with their henchmen in the tunnels. Both Britain and the U.S. have given emphasis to re-energizing a "two-state solution" in the wake of this conflict. Apart from its sheer impracticability following the Oct. 7 massacre, any such idea at this point seems to reward and further incentivize terrorism. This is highly dangerous, not least for the civilians of Gaza. It encourages Hamas to hold out hope for Western diplomatic intervention in their favor and therefore helps prolong the war. The writer, a former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, was chairman of the UK's national crisis management committee, COBRA.
2024-02-12 00:00:00
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