Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton said that the exchange deal between the Islamic Resistance Movement (agitation) Israel has costs and benefits, and it appears that the Palestinians are the ones who will achieve the greatest gains.
He explained in an article in the British newspaper The Telegraph that although the release of the Israeli victims of October 7 is praiseworthy, there are right and wrong ways to do so. There are costs and there are benefits, and here it appears that Hamas has achieved a major victory.
He added, “It remains unclear whether the deal sets a final negative precedent for Israel, but it casts doubt on whether it will achieve its legitimate goal of eliminating the terrorist threat posed by Hamas.”
Bolton noted that for Israel, the agreement is “fatally” flawed in many respects, even if it was implemented flawlessly. He explained that Israel would use the truce period to prepare for the next phase of the war, rotating forces, resupplying them, and the like.
He said that Hamas would take advantage of the pause to organize its ranks in preparation for the next Israeli attack, and launch more surprise attacks. Bolton asked, “How many Israeli soldiers will die because Hamas is given the opportunity to set additional traps and strengthen itself?”
He described the United States and Israel’s agreement to suspend air surveillance of Gaza for six hours a day during the truce period as a concession more important than the truce itself because it deprives Israel of information about Hamas’ activities during this period.
Bolton believed that the critical military problem that Israel will face is the opportunities it will lose if it stops its attack halfway.
He pointed out that Hamas’s strategy is to take any temporary pause, no matter how short, and no matter its justification, and extend it to a permanent ceasefire. “This may not happen on the first try, but the pressure on Israel to force it to surrender will increase.”
Bolton concluded his article by saying that the decisive political danger facing Israel is undermining its determination to eliminate Hamas. What is more dangerous is the strength of American support, which has already begun to weaken.
Yesterday, Friday, Hamas released 13 Israeli hostages held in Gaza, while Israel released 39 prisoners in its prisons, on the first day of a truce agreement that allowed for calm and the entry of additional aid into the Gaza Strip after weeks of aggression against the Gaza Strip. Those released from Israel and Gaza are women and children.
#John #Bolton #Hamas #achieved #major #victory #Israel
2023-11-25 15:59:42
