There seems to be no end to the fairy tales that Hamas can come up with. It’s reminiscent of the 1001 tales of the Arabian Nights. It’s also similar in that Hamas, like Scheherazade, is actually fighting for its’ existence. They also may be winning. The exchange of hostages for a pause in the fighting has been extended another day, Hamas somehow came up with another 10 hostages to release in return for another day of life. Tomorrow they will probably “find” 10 more. When they run out of women, children, foreign nationals, and elderly prisoners they’ll likely offer men, and even soldiers, in return for another stay of execution.
Meanwhile, the calls from the international community for a permanent cease-fire are growing. How long will the US continue supporting Israel? France has already jumped ship. Any agreement that does not remove Hamas from power in Gaza is a defeat for Israel.
The Hamas propaganda machine has a very successful theme, humanitarian crisis, to play over and over. In a recent exhibit of “Palestinian victims” they even included a photo of an Israeli child injured about 10 years ago. Not a surprise for many of us. Those who see the images of destruction in Gaza (and there is plenty of it) won’t be aware that there is almost normal life in large parts of Rafah and Khan Yunis. The residents there don’t have any electricity, but somehow, Hamas manages to find power sources for the stage lighting that illuminates their videos of their part of the hostage swaps. The truth is that Hamas leaders don’t care about the lives of the people under their rule. But they DO care about keeping as many people as possible in that status. They need people to parade upon the world stage to illustrate the “humanitarian crises” and to get other countries to foot the bill.
France has just started operating a floating hospital off the Gaza coast. Is there a French field hospital treating Sudanese refugees? How much aid is France (or anyone else, for that matter) sending to alleviate the hunger of the Sudanese where many die daily from malnutrition? Will France send French troops to help police a peaceful (Post Hamas) Gaza? They have been willing to send forces to former French African colonies. Why not Gaza or Lebanon?
Wetherhorn 