Another burst of Hamas rocket fire, yet Israel reopens Gaza crossings, releases $300m payout
Israel reopened the Gaza border crossings early Sunday March 31, although five Palestinian rockets were aimed at the Eshkol district. IDF tanks hit back at Hamas positions in northern and central Gaza. There were no casualties but damage on the Israeli side.
Although the usual terrorist and IDF tit-for-tat show goes on – and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar pledged more of the same, only worse – Israel appears to be going forward nevertheless with lavish concessions for Gaza – rewards for what Israel officials are commending as Hamas’ “self-restraint” in keeping the March of the Million on Saturday within bounds.
DEBKAfile reports exclusively that the Netanyahu government has consented to the UN beginning to draw on the $300m fund for Gaza Strip’s economic development accumulated from donations by different countries. Expenditure on projects will be overseen by Nickolay Mladenov, UN Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace Process.
Generous Israeli benefits and Hamas promises make up a new understanding for which the Egyptian mediators are now working on a timetable. They are listed here by DEBKAfile:
- Expansion of the flow of food supplies crossing into the Gaza Strip as well as building materials, which Israel restricted in the past as they were used for terror tunnels.
- Discussions on a maritime line linking Gaza to a port in Cyprus or Egypt.
- Hamas will halt its attacks on IDF forces defending the border fence.
- Palestinian rocket fire against Israel will cease.
- No more explosive balloon assaults.
- The IDF will exercise restraint against Palestinian “demonstrators” pushing against the border fence. This is taken to mean and end to live fire.
- Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia will twist the arm of Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas to release the funds he has been holding back from the Hamas regime for covering its payroll and Gaza’s electricity bills.
- A permanent Egyptian mission will be established in Gaza City to monitor the new accord’s implementation. Its members, high-ranking Egyptian intelligence officers, were present on the ground during the Saturday demonstration.
- No truce will be announced between Israel and Hamas. At a later date, they will announce that they are reverting to the understandings reached after Defensive Shield, Israel’s last major counter-terror operation in Gaza in 2006.
Obviously, being “nice” hasn’t solved the problem. Isn’t “Gaza” part of the Promised Land? Well????
In any case our great Hamas is by far much greater than shameful PLO with their mummy the oldman Abbas.
I see no reason not to move the capital from the weak Ramallah to the bright and powerful Gaza City.
I say that it’s time to push the Hashemite scum into the sea.
No respect for Israel. Hamas terrorist organization is holding all the cards. Netanyahu and his generals cowardly gift to the Israelis. Don’t vote Likud. Any party to his right is preferable.
Hamas leaders are laughing at the dumb Israeli negotiators.
Even their famous jew, Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
LOL.
As always, who decides when to kill Jews, where to kill Jews, how to Jews?
What does it take from the “peace partners” point of view to change things such that they no longer will do the above?
Has this changed since the founding of the “madina moderne”?
Does even Debka have the courage to publish such things?
We can always give them more of everything they say they want, and / or complain about,
for example they still complain about “the occupation” even though their area has been Jew free for many years. So perhaps they mean that they want all of Israel and the middle east to be Jew free? Is there any government in the “madina moderne” to put an end to all this madness? Certainly its not Bibi….
Gaza is controlled by the IDF and has been split off from the West Bank – that is what they mean by “occupation”.
wow. that’s a new one. first they redefine “palestinian” to mean arabs, after 2000 years of meaning jews, then “refugee” to include great-grandchildren of once-refugees (or even just people who look like refugees, such as arafat). and now “occupation” means defending your people and your country against a terrorist war.
they may not be good for anything else, but they are the world’s most audacious liars!
Please lord tell me why they keep allowing this to continue. When will you rise up and crush the enemies of Israel?
All I have to say is that Hamas is most fortunate to have Israel as its enemy marked for destruction.
Pointless wasting our flowers on trash. Iran, Qatar, Turkey need to be neutralised to cut Ikhwan off; USA can look after CAIR. Only then you derain Hamas lifeblood
Netanyahu’s goal to make Gaza the Palestinian state requires strategic patience and restraint. I dont necessarily agree with the goal altogether, but its important to keep it in perspective. Fatah/PLO is a far bigger threat to Israel due to its international backing. Removing Gaza from the equation allows Israel to negotiate Judea & Samaria with far more leverage. One State is not a threat to Jewish rule without Gaza’s 1.8 million Arabs. Defeat Fatah/PLO in Judea & Samaria, then deal with the terrorist state of Gaza. This is the strategy.
This is half the truth: removing Hamas from the equation enables Israel to direct full power into subduing Hizballah and possibly Iran>
Why do they keep on giving in to the “palestinians” ? haven’t they learnt their lesson that the world will be furious with them no matter what they do. Just blow ’em all up!
Tactical delay, to gain a bit of time – catastrophic strategic mistake – akin to appeasing a hungry crocodile…
Enough said.
bibi shame on you always giving., like a scare baby., it them back…….
I used to be scared only of Big Bag Persia.
Then, after they bashed our faces in back in 2006, I became petrified of Hizbollah (especially Nasrallah—grrrr!).
Now I’m terrified of Hamas, because they can shoot bottle rockets really far.
There’s only one recourse that we have–give up kosher, and take it in the rear end from piglets. Thinking about the pleasure I derive from this, all thanks to my parents, brings tears to my eyes.
Only then will the reality of being a vulnerable weakling vanish from my consciousness.
Israel is showing the terrorists, they have absolutely nothing to lose by attacking them.
Terrorists deserve to die in high numbers.
Who is going to manage the money ? Hamas for sure is a mistake.
It is a war that is escalating on a daily basis.Most likely a war of wasting Israeli resources and eventually their will. But only the Israeli leadership knows what their strategy is.Hope a fair agreement for all parties involved and peace is achieved.
Why don’t the Terrorstinisn gather on their Egyptian border? Oh, I forgot, this isn’t about getting out of “an open-air prison” or improving their conditions, it is about hating Jews and pursuing the Islamic conquest regardless of the stupidity and evil of that quest.
Lets see who wins elections.
Hopefully some right wing party like ozmah jehudi or at least israel baitenu.