I’ll keep saying it – there is a CEASE FIRE in Gaza. NOT a “Peace Deal” between Israel and the Palestinians. Like any normal person I was relieved, happy and hopeful that after so many false starts an actual cease fire was agreed to and implemented. The most pressing issue was Hama releasing the remaining hostages still alive and Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners. That took place Monday. Second was twofold – the return of bodies of those killed in Hamas’ terrorist attack and allowing the flow of critically needed humanitarian aid into Gaza. As I feared people on both sides have thrown turds into the cease fire punchbowl.
On Monday we learned only four of the 28 bodies Hamas had said would be turned over were in fact turned over. As soon as I learned that my heart sank because I knew, I KNEW the IDF would use that as an excuse to kill more Palestinians. Yes, the IDF retreated to agreed upon positions but people were trying to get back home to start the long process of cleaning up the destruction of war and rebuilding. The IDF claimed people it shot and killed had ventured over the line and offered a “threat.” Yes, some of them are murderous assholes wanting only to kill Palestinians whenever they can. Just like in the past when IDF forces have ‘gotten in target practice’ over the fence.
My greatest fear was a suicide bombing in Israel proper as retaliation but that hasn’t happened. At least not yet. Instead Hamas is slow walking the handover of bodies. Since Monday in two instances more bodies have been handed over to Israel. However there are more that haven’t. Hamas is claiming they aren’t sure where the bodies are, or that recovering them is difficult under all the rubble. I call bullshit. For its part Israel, or more precisely Netanyahu and his Likud Party are breaking the promise to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. From a distance it seems like a sick, ugly and tragic game of tit for tat.
Frankly I fully expected each side to do what it’s doing. Hamas to hold back bodies trying to secure it’s ability to remain in power and Israel preventing humanitarian aid because that’s just how their leaders are. Palestinian civilians who lest we forget had Hamas thrust upon them as their ‘government’ by Netanyahu and who never wanted them in charge aren’t even human f**king beings to Bibi and his pals.
So, as this article from ABC News explains the Gaza ‘cease fire egg is being cracked from blows from both sides. I fear it’s only a matter of time (perhaps not much time) before the whole thing becomes a sloppy mess that, just like on your kitchen counter or floor is tough to clean up. In the meantime the suffering and dying in Gaza continues. Despite the cease fire it doesn’t look like that’s going to end anytime soon:
Humanitarian aid workers told ABC News that they will face several challenges in delivering aid to Gaza. Israeli authorities have limited the amount of aid that can enter the strip, and destroyed roads and neighborhoods make it difficult to reach areas of the enclave.
Trump of course is touting that the war between Hamas and Israel is over and it’s all good from here on. The reality is somewhat different:
Additionally, winter is fast-approaching, and aid workers say they have a limited amount of time to deliver provisions to help Palestinians in Gaza get through the cold weather months.
“We’re not asking for anything unreasonable. We’re asking for the volume of aid that entered Gaza Strip before the escalation in October 2023,” Tess Ingram, communications manager for UNICEF, told ABC News. “I think that’s something to watch for in the coming days. Does the aid flow? Are the crossings open? Is the U.N. enabled to do its job, to serve the children of Gaza?. … But the other part is, does the ceasefire hold? The stakes are really high right now, so that ceasefire has to hold.”
Will it hold? At best it was a coin flip when it was announced. At least it held long enough to get hostages and prisoners swapped and some of the bodies returned to their loved ones. However, and I’ll keep saying this there are people on both sides of this conflict who don’t want it to be over. Like with other intractable conflicts there are people on each side who are important ONLY because of the conflict. No more conflict, no more power for them so they will, again as history teaches us blow up (sometimes literally) agreements to end hostilities. Is there anyone who’d read this who doesn’t believe there are people in Hamas and people in the ruling Israeli government who aren”t itching to blow up the cease fire and return to full blown war? Just so they can retain power/influence?
My point is that talk is cheap. So are signatures on a cease fire agreement. It’s ACTION, the implementation of what was agreed to that matters. Already we are seeing bodies not being returned, Palestinians being shot and killed and humanitarian aid being held up. Not a good start. It’s an entire bowl of eggs sitting perched over the edge of the counter. Don’t be surprised if someone gives it a bit of a push and the whole thing winds up in a big mess on the ground.
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This flimsy ‘Peace Deal!’ is perhaps starting to look like it came stamped with either a rubbery ‘Best Before’ or a ‘Use By’ date. Will this tenuous, tinder box with a low flash point fall under the curse of ‘Everything that Trump touches dies’?
Two murderous thugs, Trump and bibi, making deals with other murderous thugs. I’m sure it will all work out to a two state solution. How’s that protest vote against Kamala working out you stupid assholes?????