Humanitarian Ceasefire: Hamas Cries Uncle
Humanitarian Ceasefire: Hamas Cries Uncle

The 72-hour ceasefire now supposedly in place comes as no surprise. For Israel it offers a pause in which to reflect upon the extent of its gains and whether it wants total surrender or merely “quiet.” The Jewish State has sent the terrorists reeling – despite Hamas propaganda images that mostly show “innocent civilians” being afflicted.

The IDF has eliminated hundreds of Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters – pictures not shown publicly and news still to be revealed. That number may reach thousands.

The IDF has blasted 80 percent of the terrorist tunnel infrastructure. This work will continue until the job is done.  

Most telling is this: Hamas agreed to the truce a day after Israel announced that it was calling in some 16,000 to 30,000 additional reservists. This in itself was shock and awe to the other side and proved that Israel was prepared to go all the way. Israel means business.

At this realization, that no one among them was safe, Hamas retreated and begged Kerry for help. They cried uncle.

For Hamas – as we stated earlier – this is not a war to gain territory. Rather, it is a war to gain sympathy.

Soon, according to the plan, Israel would be forced to quit or submit after US, UN and international pressure became unbearable.

The strategy worked, for a time. The world’s three main news media machines, CNN, the BBC and The New York Times willingly offered their services as terrorist propaganda outlets, showing round-the-clock images of Gaza suffering. Each report, providing no context, began with breaking news of more “innocent civilian casualties.”

That is how Hamas writes its news releases.

At some point it became near impossible to separate Hamas from ISIS in terms of people killing and people being killed.
After a time, however, the news turned dull and the images became routine. People tuned out. This is a fact of news, especially television.

People can take only so much until they change to something light. A “hot message” tends to boomerang.

True, thousands have marched against Israel throughout the world – but these are the same crowds that always march against Israel.

The universal uprising that Hamas counted on did not occur. Complaints from the UN were nullified by proof that the UN was complicit with the terrorists. Israeli spokesmen were (surprisingly) quick to point out that UN schools in Gaza were being used to store Hamas ammunition. Moreover, at virtually each visit before the cameras, Israeli advocates were firm in making the case that the terrorists were using civilians as human shields, primarily children.

For once, Israel made for itself a fairly decent pr presentation…without emotion, but by simply stating the facts. Ambassadors Ron Prosor (UN). Ron Dermer (US) and Mark Regev representing the prime minister have been particularly strong and effective.

For Hamas – in fact for the entire Palestinian Arab cause – it is all waged to win world opinion, and here is where it overplayed its hand.

Those images of Gazans in distress backfired, for these are the same people doing the damage and being damaged in Afghanistan, Syria, Nigeria, Lebanon and Libya. At some point it became near impossible to separate Hamas from ISIS in terms of people killing and people being killed. They wear the same clothes. They speak the same language. They suffer the same torments except that it’s Muslims doing it to Muslims.

The big message that came across – unintended – spelled radical Islam, in capital letters.

At the same time that Christians around the world were being asked to grieve for Gaza, Hamas kinsmen Boko Haram began a wholesale slaughter of Christians.

Bad timing.

ISIS appeared out of nowhere to embark on a campaign to annihilate Christians in Iraq.

Hardly a way to win friends and influence people for Hamas.

Hamas and its fellow Gaza terrorists are shattered. The only question is how deep Israel wants to bury them into the ground.

Jack Engelhard writes a regular column for Arutz Sheva. Engelhard wrote the int’l bestseller Indecent Proposal that was translated into more than 22 languages and turned into a Paramount motion picture starring Robert Redford and Demi Moore. New from the novelist, the anti-BDS thriller Compulsive. Website: www.jackengelhard.com