Dark Times Awaiting 'Israel' After 4-day Truce Ends

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: The Washington Post

According to David Ignatius, Israelis will have to face growing international pressure to turn the 4-day pause into a permanent ceasefire.

According to David Ignatius in The Washington Post, after "Israel" paused its war on Gaza, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) are faced with a "controversial dilemma" of considering how exactly they will resume their bombardment of the strip in their alleged effort to "eradicate" Hamas.

One senior Israeli official expressed that the release of 13 captives by Hamas was "bittersweet", explaining that the near future has some "high-intensity conflict" in store.

The official did not back down from the IOF's intention to destroy Hamas, in turn destroying Gaza and yet killing thousands more Palestinians, despite the mounting international pressure for a permanent ceasefire.

The temporary truce between the Israeli occupation and the Resistance in Gaza came into effect at 7 am on Friday, following an Israeli aggression that has persisted for 47 days, leaving thousands injured and killed. 

The truce will last for four days subject to potential extension. The truce entails the liberation of a number of imprisoned Palestinian women and minors (under the age of 19) from Israeli occupation jails and the admission of relief aid and fuel in the besieged Gaza Strip.

A Palestinian farmer was martyred and another was injured by Israeli occupation forces' gunfire in the central Gaza Strip - a flagrant violation of the declared truce between the Palestinian Resistance and the occupation.

The official explained that the IOF are "determined to go to the next stage of the war. We’re not at the stabilization phase yet."

When questioned about international criticism regarding "Israel's" tactics, he did not relent, stating that the IOF were "very strongly determined" to make sure Hamas no longer rules Gaza.

Observing the occupation's recent war crimes, we can see how this translates into mass punishment and genocide.

According to Ignatius, the main issue is that "Israel" will continue its offensive while global pressure increases for a permanent ceasefire, like how Qatar’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told reporters that Qatar hoped the 4-day truce would last more permanently.

He recalls how "Israel" saw similar diplomatic pressure in the past like in the 1973 war, the 1982 invasion of Beirut, and most recently when "Israel" invaded Gaza in 2014 in a failed mission to destroy Hamas tunnels before a lasting truce was agreed upon on August 26. 

Facing yet another setback in today's aggression, another Israeli official admitted that the Hamas tunnel network “is more developed than we thought," claiming that over 600 tunnels had been uncovered in the north of Gaza.

Ignatius believes the next phase of the assault will be heavily focused on Khan Younis and other southern areas, which the IOF deems Hamas strongholds.

He believes that international pressure will cause "Israel" to question its ways to "finish the job" it had initiated against Hamas.

Aggression on Gaza to resume with full force after truce: IOF chief

IOF Chief of Staff Gen. Herzi Halevi said the occupation forces will continue their aggression in Gaza “with determination” once the temporary truce in the Gaza Strip ends. “We created conditions for the framework of the release of the first group of hostage children and mothers [that is taking place] during this pause” in the war, Halevi said.

“When the framework is completed, we will return to our operations with determination for the continued release of the hostages and the complete dismantlement of Hamas,” he added.

This comes after Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant stated on Thursday that the humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip between "Israel" and the Palestinian resistance will be followed by approximately two months of war.

Throughout the ceasefire, invading Israeli forces prevented 1.7 million displaced Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip from returning to assess their homes and belongings. The majority of these properties had suffered damage or destruction from airstrikes in the central and northern regions of the Strip. Additionally, these individuals were impeded from searching for their missing family members due to threats of being targeted.

It is noteworthy that Israeli forces targeted a group of civilians on the first day of the humanitarian ceasefire as they attempted to return from the southern to the northern Gaza Strip, resulting in the martyrdom of two and the injury of others.

Commenting on the Israeli violations, Hamas top official Osama Hamdan said on Saturday that the Israeli occupation committed numerous violations of the truce imposed by the Palestinian Resistance on it.