Even as the ceasefire deal faces last-minute haggling and uncertainty, the vibe among the global public and the political class is that the war in Gaza has ended.

Scrolling through social media, one could easily get the impression that everyone who lives in Gaza is an influencer, as made-for-Instagram selfies compete with videos of Hamasniks parading through the streets swarmed by cheering crowds—a lesson, perhaps, in the difference between genocide and #genocide.

A Hamas leader eulogized the war by celebrating the Oct. 7 massacres, a bit of postgame chest-thumping that was essentially a promise of another, future war.

President-elect Trump’s reaction to the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement was triumphant, and it was followed today with a proud reposting of an article giving him credit for pressuring Benjamin Netanyahu—another sign that Trump is ready to call this a win and move on.

Yesterday, President Biden left no doubt that further ceasefire talks would be aimed at bringing about “a permanent end of the war. Let me say it again, a permanent end of the war.”

Hamas-aligned groups in the US declared victory. “Imperialism and Zionism has lost, the Democratic party has lost, the future of the Zionist state continues to be eroded,” cheered New York’s most prominent Jew-baiter, Nerdeen Kiswani. According to the Times of Israel, a Columbia University anti-Israel coalition proclaimed: “Glory to our martyrs, glory to our people, glory to our fighters. This victory is Gaza’s alone, we must fight and escalate.” Students for Justice in Palestine called it “a step forward on the long, arduous path to Palestine’s inevitable victory.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken was confident enough to make his farewell speech all about implementing a plan for postwar Gaza: “For many months, we’ve been working intensively with our partners to develop a detailed post-conflict plan that would allow Israel to fully withdraw from Gaza, prevent Hamas from filling back in, and provide for Gaza’s governance, security, and reconstruction… We will hand it off to the Trump administration to carry forward.”

But now that another full day has gone by without a signed agreement, a familiar feeling that comes when covering the Middle East is overtaking the media. The New York Times currently has the following two headlines next to each other on its website: “Hamas After Cease-Fire: Weakened, Isolated but Still Standing” followed immediately by “Deadly strikes in Gaza continue despite the announcement of a cease-fire deal.”

Indeed, according to the IDF, “Muhammad Hasham Zahedi Abu Al-Rus, a Nukhba terrorist who infiltrated Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and participated in the massacre at the Nova Music Festival, was eliminated overnight in an intelligence-based strike. Additionally, the IAF conducted strikes on approx. 50 terrorist targets across Gaza over the last day, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists, military compounds, weapons storage facilities, launch posts, weapons manufacturing sites, and observation posts.”

Meanwhile, the Washington Post’s headline writers must think they’re being pranked, as they ping-pong from “Gazans eye ceasefire with mixed feelings: ‘What do we have left?’” to “Ceasefire deal delayed as Netanyahu bargains with far-right allies” and back to “Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal brings hope for devastated northern Gaza”—again, one right after the other.

It’s Schrödinger’s ceasefire!

The real lesson, however, is that there is no such thing as a permanent ceasefire so long as Hamas is in power. After all, there was a ceasefire in place on Oct. 6, 2023. And the trove of reporting in the wake of the attacks made clear that Hamas never had any intention of upholding that ceasefire: its restraint was a key part of its Oct. 7 strategy to lull Israel (and the world) into thinking it was becoming a responsible party in Mideast politics.

Yes, this particular deal is unique because of the circumstances, namely Israel’s hopes of getting back its captives—not because it is going to bring about a permanent truce.

The Middle East you’ll find in Western newspapers doesn’t exist. The reality for those who live in Israel is that, as its enemies say every day, there is one conflict: the attempt to eradicate the Jewish state. Does a boxing match end permanently between rounds? In football does the score go back to 0-0 after halftime?

There’s nothing wrong with diplomats touting a deal they helped negotiate. But the triumphalism from every corner except Israel ought to tell you that one party isn’t expecting a reprieve.

+ A A -
You may also like
24 Shares
Share via
Copy link