The last ditch before Rafah :
As the Passover holiday in Israel came to an end , here in Eilat , which has a predominately Moroccan culture, the Mamoona celebrations began as the sun went down. Sweets, pancakes and donuts are eaten with loud Moroccan music. As with all celebrations since October 7th, the mood is much more muted and low key, especially as the news started to filter through that two soldiers had tragically fallen in what could be the last throes of the war in Gaza.
A deal to release the hostages is being examined by Hamas which would include the release of between 33-40 hostages in exchange for thousands of prisoners including mass murderers and a temporary halt to hostilities.
No one knows how many hostages remain alive but Israel is making one last ditch attempt to free them before unleashing an assault on Rafah, which is the last stronghold in Gaza,where Hamas leaders are thought to be holed up with the hostages.
Evacuation of the civilians in Rafah is already underway. There has been no rocket fire today from either the south or the north, so perhaps a deal is being finalised. Bibi says that Israel will enter Rafah with or without a deal.
Despite nearly 7 months of hard fighting, Hamas still hold all the power and the pressure the US and other countries keep piling on Israel, showing more concern over the Palestinian’s diet than the safety of Israelis , leaves Israel with a weakened hand , while awarding Hamas the victory they forecasted . There is much in-fighting in the government on the best way forward from such a weak position.
The people want Hamas destroyed and the hostages returned but no one knows the best way to conclude the war and to guarantee a long term peace solution. The west’s insistence that a Palestinian state will bring peace to the area, just confirms how little they understand of the situation. This is a holy war driven by Iran for Islamic world domination. It is not a war over land. Too many offers of a Palestinian state have been declined for anyone to believe that land can bring peace.
It is reported the German Ambassador was attacked on visit to Ramallah. Hopefully, he will report back that we have no currencies with which to deal with these savages. The UNWRA secretary general wants to visit Gaza and check on the humanitarian situation . He should be safe as UNWRA are Hamas’s biggest supporters and collaborators. The aid pier is virtually complete despite attempts by Hamas to destroy it and perpetuate the aid crisis.
The Turkish Flotilla was turned back before leaving Turkey, but that didn’t stop a Turkish tourist who entered from Jordan turning terrorist today and stabbing a police officer in the Old City.
The Houthi are reported to be burying their ballistic weapons underground. Why we allow these rogues operatives to stockpile and hide weapons is really a mystery, as is the surprise when they unleash them !
The state of the world, the cowardly terrible leaders that bow to public opinion chasing votes, and the lack of will to deal properly with terrorists that are taking strongholds everywhere is mind boggling. Until we have leaders that have the courage to go after these terrorist organisations before they strike, the world can only expect more terror.
The world and Israel allowed Gaza and Hezbollah to build up more weapons than most nation countries : They both have attacked Israel, and have been true to their word to try to destroy Israel. Yet the world still seems minded to negotiate with them and even leave them in power.
However, small Israel may be, and despite the tragic losses that have been suffered, being alone in the front line, it is unlikely that she has luxury of pulling back and it is very possible we will see a full assault on Rafah in the coming days.