New York Times reports: Low on supplies, Israeli generals want cease-fire in Gaza

Last Updated on July 3, 2024 8:33 am

Top Israeli army generals are calling for a cease-fire in Gaza as war logistics dwindle. This is what the American newspaper New York Times said. It is believed to reflect a major shift in Israeli generals’ thinking about the Gaza war. RT news.

Dozens of senior Israeli generals want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike a cease-fire deal with the Palestinian armed group Hamas so they can better prepare for a possible war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, the New York Times reported on Tuesday (July 2).

Israel’s war against Hamas is about to enter its ninth month. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have lost at least 674 soldiers in this war so far. About 120 Israelis are still being held hostage by Hamas.

Stay away, Hamas fighters have returned to enclaves in Gaza that Israeli forces claimed were ‘enemy-free’. Netanyahu has not yet said publicly whether Israel will occupy Gaza after the war or return the territory to the Palestinian Authority.

Meanwhile, the supply of artillery shells of the Israeli army is also decreasing. In such a situation, 30 senior generals of Israel’s General Staff Forum want Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire with Hamas. Even if power in Gaza is to be handed over to Hamas.

According to six current and former security officials, the generals want time to rest their troops and stockpile ammunition for a war with the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

Besides, the generals see a possible ceasefire as the best way to free the remaining hostages. This position of the generals is definitely at odds with Netanyahu’s position. Because Israeli prime ministers insist that a “total victory” against Hamas will bring the hostages home.

According to RT reports, Israel’s former national security adviser, Yaal Hulata, told the New York Times, “The military is fully supportive of the hostage agreement and the ceasefire.” They believe they can return to Gaza at any time and join the war with Hamas.

“Their understanding is that an effective cease-fire in Gaza would have the potential to defuse tensions in Lebanon. In addition, they have fewer weapons, fewer spare parts and fewer troops than before. So they think that a cease-fire in Gaza will give us more time to prepare for a big war with Hezbollah,’ added Yaal Hulata.

When the Israel-Hamas conflict began last October, the powerful Iranian-backed political movement and paramilitary force Hezbollah also entered the conflict. The group has since launched counterattacks in response to drone and missile strikes by northern Israel. The group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, said its goal is to deter Israeli forces and keep them outside the border.

Netanyahu said in an announcement last month that he would withdraw some IDF army units from Gaza to the Lebanese border. The announcement raised public fears that an Israeli invasion of Lebanon was imminent.

Tensions escalated last week when Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant warned that Israeli forces were ‘prepared for every eventuality’ and that ‘Lebanon could be sent into the Stone Age.’

US warns of war against Hezbollah in Lebanon Iran, on the other hand, has declared that it will “support Hezbollah in all ways” in such a conflict.

The ceasefire agreement is being rewritten

The cease-fire agreement between Hamas and Israel is being rewritten. As neither side has agreed to a ceasefire, new changes are coming to the agreement. Last Saturday (June 29) a report of the Times of Israel said so.

The US is re-proposing a proposed hostage and cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas in an effort to reach an agreement, the report said. This information came to light amid massive protests by families of hostages in Israel.

According to Axios, the US press last Saturday, three sources related to the negotiations of the United States, Qatar and Egypt said that Article 8 of the agreement is being revised. The first phase of this article calls for a six-week ceasefire.

Article 12 of the agreement has also been amended, Channel 12 said. This paragraph deals with the transition from the first phase to the second phase. According to sources, the United States is working tirelessly to make the agreement between Hamas and Israel a success. The deal could go into effect if the Palestinian Authority approves the changes.

However, last Sunday (June 30), Hamas said that no progress has been made in the ceasefire talks. In a press conference in Lebanon, Hamas leader Osama Hamdan said that there has been no real progress in the negotiations to end Israel’s aggression in Gaza. Hamas is ready to positively accept any proposal that would ensure a permanent ceasefire, a full withdrawal of troops from Gaza and a meaningful prisoner exchange.

Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. In addition, more than two hundred people were taken hostage to Gaza. In response, Israel launched a military invasion of Gaza. Since then, the war has continued for more than eight months.

The Gaza Strip has been virtually destroyed by the Israeli occupation. 38 thousand innocent and unarmed Palestinians have been killed so far. Most of them are women and children. The number of injured is 88 thousand.

A seven-day ceasefire agreement was signed last November. At that time, Hamas released 110 Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Negotiations on a second ceasefire have continued since then, but have not yet seen the light of day.

US President Joe Biden outlined a plan last month for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange. He claimed that the plan was proposed by Israel. The plan initially called for a six-month ceasefire in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip, and the release of Israeli hostages.

According to the plan, in the first phase, Hamas will release Israeli women, the elderly and the sick held hostage in Gaza. In addition, negotiations for the second phase of ceasefire will continue at this time. In the second phase, Hamas will release the remaining hostages it holds. However, if the terms of the agreement are violated, Israel can resume operations in Gaza.

Hamas claims that the deal requires a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. They will not go to any temporary ceasefire. On the other hand, Israel continues to negotiate for a temporary ceasefire. Osama Hamdan, the leader of Hamas, complained that the United States was pressuring Hamas to accept Israel’s terms.