American president Donald Trump seems to want a peaceful final settlement of the entire Gaza/Palestine/Israel affair. He floated an idea of resettling Gaza Arabs in Egypt or Jordan (or both). The basic idea has some merit. The ‘Arab Refugee’ problem was created by the UN in 1949 when it established UNRWA (United Nations Relief and … More Truce 29 Jan
The truce/cease-fire agreements in both Gaza and Lebanon are actually very fragile. The Lebanese truce has been extended to 18 Feb in order to give the Lebanese Army extra time to carry out the missions it was assigned. Whether it will do so is questionable. Hezbollah has NOT withdrawn north of the Litani and seems … More Truce 28 Jan
Meanwhile, in Lebanon: Hezbollah appears to have made a deal with the Lebanese Government. Hezbollah fighters remain south of the Litany river. The Lebanese Army was supposed to supervise their withdrawal, and handle (destroy) any weapons or fortifications left behind, Israeli forces would then withdraw from Lebanese territory. This is how I understood the (renewed) … More Truce 27 Jan
I mentioned last time that Hamas has neither tanks nor an air force. They also do not recognize that there are any rules for war, humanitarian or other. In this they differ from (moderate?) mainstream Islam. But even Muhammed was known for violating truce agreements when it was advantageous for him. Hamas does not follow … More Truce 26 Jan
Any truce or cease-fire agreement can only be maintained if BOTH sides actually abide by the conditions agreed upon. This means that both sides must benefit. For Israel, the latest truce is designed to get Hams (and their partner the Islamic Jihad) to release hostages they took on 7 Oct 2023. For Hamas, it is … More Truce 23 Jan
I stopped writing Gaza war entries a while ago, mostly because my wife was not well. She is home from the hospital now and I am resuming updates. I want to start by reminding all of you who read this that the overall status of the most popular media that I follow has not changed, … More Truce 22 Jan
Everywhere in the world it seems there is talk about the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. It will probably take several days for this to subside. When it does, there will/should be an opportunity to reach a cease-fire and hostage return agreement. If that happens, it’s important to remember that this entire confrontation was … More Gaza War 29 Sep
The death of Ismail Haniyeh has resulted in lots of threats of revenge, retribution, and war. One of the reports referred to Haniyeh as a “moderate”. I’m astonished that anyone can call a leader of an organization that is devoted to the destruction of Israel and will not even engage in face to face negotiations … More Gaza War 1 Aug
Israel finally responded to the murder of the children in Majdal Shams. The response came in the form of a double whammy aimed at the terrorist leadership. The delay in the execution gave time to let the world know that Israel was not interested in a wider war. But the actions did show off (or … More Gaza War 31 Jul
The Israeli war cabinet met and discussed when and how to respond to the Hezbollah rocket attack on Majdal Shams that killed 12 children (3 girls, 9 boys, all between 9 and 15 years old). Whatever eventually will be done, the IDF will try to make it clear that the response is not aimed at … More Gaza War 29 Jul
Wetherhorn 