Yedioth Ahronoth: Hamas is still able to rule Gaza

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted security sources and officials as saying that not delving into the details of the next day in the Gaza Strip will return Israel to the situation before October 7 attack, and indicated that Hamas is still capable of ruling the Strip.

Yedioth Ahronoth indicated that the sources confirmed their support for reaching an immediate partial or complete ceasefire agreement, and warned that failure to make decisions regarding Gaza will undermine the achievements of the war and won’t bring down Hamas.

The Israeli newspaper indicated that the sources it spoke to confirmed that the ceasefire negotiations and the prisoner and detainee exchange deal are ongoing and that some gaps remain.

It said that all parties are trying to reach understandings before President-elect Donald Trump assumes his duties in a few weeks.

While the sources confirmed that the negotiating team is cautiously optimistic about the deal and say that there is progress, they indicated that their estimates say that Hamas is ready to reach a deal but on its own terms.

For its part, the Israeli Army Radio quoted sources as saying, “It cannot be said that the exchange deal negotiations are frozen, but there are no new developments so far,” and explained that “the army is trying to put military pressure on Hamas to complete a deal despite the failure of this policy during the past months”.

In contrast, Hamas leader Osama Hamdan said that the movement had gone to the maximum flexibility regarding the negotiations, provided that the aggression was stopped, there was a comprehensive withdrawal, and relief and reconstruction were provided without conditions.

Hamdan confirmed in an interview with Palestinian al Aqsa TV that “the enemy turns against what is agreed upon at every negotiation stage,” and he pointed out that Israel is insisting on two things in the negotiations, which aren’t “completely withdrawing from the Strip and stopping the aggression”.

Regarding what the Israeli army announces that it has succeeded in eliminating and weakening the capabilities of the resistance, the Hamas leader said, “The occupation’s talk about breaking the resistance has proven its failure, and the resistance continues to write the most wonderful images of heroism,” noting that “the scenes broadcast by the resistance represent a small part of the heroism written by our Palestinian people”.

The prisoner exchange deal negotiations – mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States – have stumbled more than once due to Netanyahu’s insistence on continuing control over the Philadelphi border axis between Gaza and Egypt and the Rafah crossing in Gaza, and preventing the return of Palestinian faction fighters to northern Gaza by inspecting returnees through the Netzarim axis in the middle of the Strip.

For its part, Hamas insists on a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and a complete cessation of war in order to accept any agreement.