Why is the ceasefire agreement a ‘big defeat’ for Israel?
Last Updated on January 17, 2025 6:49 am
Hamas and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza. However, their main goal, which was to completely destroy Hamas and return the Jews expelled from the northern part of the occupied territory, has completely failed to achieve it.
And this is why the dissatisfaction among the hard-line members of the Israeli cabinet has intensified.
Background to the 468-day war
In the 468-day war in Gaza, the brutal Israeli forces have killed more than 47,000 Palestinians. Most of them are children and women. In addition, more than 2 million Palestinians have lost their homes. In addition, all the necessary infrastructure, including healthcare, educational institutions and religious sites in the Gaza Strip, has been destroyed.
Israel wanted to destroy Hamas’ resistance forces through this war. However, after the ceasefire agreement was announced, Hamas is reported to be reorganizing its organization.
The ceasefire agreement, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the US, has largely seen the light of day. While the terms of the agreement have brought joy to the Muslim world, they have caused frustration and anger among hardline Jewish residents of the occupied territories.
‘Bad deal’
Israeli newspaper ‘Israel Hayom’ called the ceasefire agreement a ‘bad deal’. The newspaper reported that the agreement was imposed on Israel with the mediation of the US. The hardline leaders of the Israeli cabinet, Itamar Ben Gavir and Smotrich, have also opposed the agreement.
Ben Gavir called the agreement the ‘worst’ military decision for Israel and called for the dissolution of the cabinet.
However, some political analysts believe that there may be a secret agreement between Smotrich and Netanyahu. Through this agreement, Netanyahu may have made concessions on the distribution of some areas of the West Bank.
US plan
Meanwhile, the US has advised Israel that Hamas cannot be defeated through military action alone. Instead, it plans to reinstate the Palestinian Authority (Fatah) in Gaza and take control of local governance. In that case, the US wants to include the Palestinian Authority’s intelligence chief, Majid Faraj, in this plan.
However, the level of support for Hamas among the people of Gaza could pose a major obstacle to the implementation of the US plan. The people of Gaza have not forgotten the events of 2004 to 2007 and may not agree to cooperate with Fatah, the Palestinian Authority.
Hamas-PJ Power and Results
Meanwhile, after the ceasefire announcement, the people of Gaza expressed their gratitude to Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and celebrated the victory. This situation indicates that there is strong support for these resistance groups among the people of Gaza and that they can thwart the Palestinian Authority’s plans to re-establish itself.
From the above discussion, it can be said that the Gaza ceasefire agreement has proven Israel’s strategic failure. At the same time, the Israeli Prime Minister’s declared goal—to destroy Hamas and change the geopolitical situation in Gaza—has remained unfulfilled in this journey.
On the one hand, this defeat of Israel has strengthened the support of the Muslim world for the Palestinian independence organizations Hamas and the PIJ.
On the other hand, the division and dissatisfaction among the hardline leaders in the Israeli cabinet clearly reflect the political impact of this agreement. The future role of Hamas-PJ in Gaza will determine the situation there.
Source: Meher News