A political analyst pointed to Israel's interest in continuing the conflict with Hamas
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- A political analyst pointed to Israel's interest in continuing the conflict with Hamas
Despite the ceasefire agreement,Israel is interested in continuing the conflict with the Palestinian radical movement Hamas. This opinion was shared with Izvestia on January 16 by Ruslan Andreev, an expert of the Polylog Group and political consultant.
The agreement on ceasefire in Gaza became known the day before. It is expected to come into effect on January 19. In the first stage lasting 42 days, 33 Israeli hostages are to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
"Israel is interested in the continuation of the conflict: the political future of Prime Minister [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu depends on the operation in the Gaza Strip, and the preservation of Hamas is a potential threat of another October 7 (October 7, 2023 Hamas attacked Israel. - Ed.)," Andreev believes.
Thus, he added, even if the agreement is implemented, the operation in Palestine will apparently continue. A full-fledged peace is still far away, the expert believes. At the same time, the probability that Hamas will violate the deal is small against the backdrop of the militants' plight, he said. Peace with Israel will be a clear victory for Palestine.
The publication's interlocutor also pointed out that the US and Arab countries had been promoting the deal for more than a year, but it was only realized after Donald Trump won the US presidential election.
"It is not surprising that observers started talking about "collusion" between Trump and Natanyahu, who delayed negotiations with Hamas the entire election campaign in the US. The beneficiary of the deal will be Trump, whose inauguration will take place as early as January 20, the day after the agreement begins," the political analyst concluded.
Meanwhile, earlier on Thursday, Al Jazeera TV reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a massive strike on the Gaza Strip after reaching an agreement with Hamas. At least 30 Palestinians were killed, it said.
The IDF said it was preparing to receive those released. Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog called the agreement a correct and necessary step. UN Secretary General António Guterres also backed the deal and expressed readiness to help.
US President-elect Donald Trump linked the agreement to his election victory, while incumbent US leader Joe Biden linked it to his administration's efforts. At the same time, the White House admitted difficulties in the implementation of the deal.
The situation in the Middle East escalated on the morning of October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian movement Hamas subjected the territory of Israel to a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. On the same day, Israel began retaliatory strikes.
