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Don't Be Fooled by Hamas's "Long-Term Ceasefire" Ploy

(Gatestone Institute) Khaled Abu Toameh - While the Trump administration deserves enormous appreciation for its sincere efforts to secure the release of the Israeli and American hostages, it must be careful not to allow itself to be duped by Hamas. For many years, Israel believed that Hamas was not interested in an all-out war with Israel and was working for economic prosperity in Gaza. An IDF investigation into the Oct. 7 massacre concluded that Hamas had planned the Oct. 7 attack for more than 10 years. Hamas's deception included sending messages to Israel indicating interest in a long-term truce. Today, everyone knows that the talk about a long-term truce was nothing but a smokescreen to conceal Hamas's real intention. Hamas anyway is not known for honoring ceasefire agreements. During the past 15 years, several truces reached between Hamas and Israel collapsed after the terrorist group violated them. Some Westerners mistakenly think that Hamas's talk about a hudna (armistice or truce) implies that the terrorist group seeks peace with Israel. For Hamas, a hudna is a temporary break from war - it does not indicate a desire to end it and achieve peace. It is plainly uninformed to believe that Hamas would ever lay down its weapons and agree to end its jihad against Israel. The Trump administration is advised to listen to what Hamas leaders say in Arabic to their own people, and not what they tell U.S. officials during secret meetings in Qatar. The writer, a veteran Israeli journalist, is a senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.
2025-03-11 00:00:00
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