In it’s lead editorial for yesterday, the opposition Israeli daily Haaretz called on Israelis to continue their political struggle until every last hostage in Gaza has been released and until Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is forced to end the war. Haaretz noted that it’s hard to recall how many times it seemed that an agreement was near only for someone, either from Hamas or from Israel, to thwart it. “But this time—mainly thanks to U.S. President- elect Donald Trump, who used threats and his authority to secure the deal—all signs indicate that it is indeed coming to fruition.”
But there’s still no certainty that the deal will be implemented beyond the first phase, due to the opposition of Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir. “We must not forget for even a moment that Smotrich and Ben-Gvir oppose the agreement because prolonging the war serves the aspirations of the annexation and apartheid enterprise and the plans for the occupation and settlement of Gaza. For this very reason, it’s important to remember that the struggle against the forces seeking to foil the agreement will continue even after it’s implemented,” Haaretz notes.
