Israeli officials are increasingly issuing statements that indicate Israel could return to fighting if Hamas does not disarm and abide by the deal that was agreed to in Sinai.
Hamas is supposed to hand over all the bodies of hostages. The bodies of 19 hostages had still not been returned. It is also supposed to disarm and cede governance. These are just some of the 20 points of the deal, which has multiple phases.
“We are not in a state of routine,” Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli said Wednesday in an interview with Channel 14. “This is a significant moment, and we must be precise: Either they hand over the weapons, or we will have to return to fighting.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also called on Hamas to disarm in an interview with CBS. Defense Minister Israel Katz has demanded that the Hamas tunnels in Gaza be dismantled.
Israel’s threats are raising eyebrows in the region.
“Israel threatens to resume [the] Gaza war if Hamas fails to return all hostage bodies,” The National, a UAE-based English-language newspaper, reported.
“US advisers say efforts [are] under way for international force in Gaza,” the report said.
Meanwhile, Egypt wants to see a 10,000-strong Palestinian force enter Gaza, The Wall Street Journal reported.
In other developments, there are continuing talks about the Rafah crossing and the role of the European Union and the Palestinian Authority there.
“Gaza to Egypt crossing remains shut as Israel pushes for hostage remains,” Saudi Arabia-based newspaper Arab News reported.
“UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher expressed frustration that the ceasefire had yet to facilitate the scale of relief needed in the devastated Palestinian territory,” the report said.
Will Israel's threats work?
The big question now is whether Israel’s threats to return to fighting will pressure other countries to step up and get Hamas to fulfill its obligations. There are many hurdles, especially because Hamas is reemerging in Gaza and carrying out executions.
At the same time, it is not clear how much Israel actually wants to see a large alternative Palestinian force deployed in Gaza. Any such force would need to be vetted.
It’s not clear how the force will be trained. It’s also not clear how a proposed new technocratic team will emerge to run Gaza.
The challenge for Egypt and other countries that appear serious about moving forward with the 20-point plan is that they will need to see if they can get real results. So long as the Rafah crossing remains closed, this will also hamper efforts to speed up any change.
Israel’s threats could shift things and get various processes moving.
The White House, however, has so far seemed to be comfortable with the progress. In addition, reports seem to suggest that Israel needs a green light from the Trump administration to return to fighting.
What that means is that the Trump administration is in charge of certifying whether the deal is being carried out in line with the plans agreed to in Sinai during the meetings on October 8.
It remains to be seen whether threats will actually lead to change on the ground. Israeli officials seem to believe Hamas knows where the bodies of more hostages are located.
So far, Hamas has sought to slow-play things, returning several coffins a day. This enables it to buy time to cement its control and hunt down opponents.
Hamas is clearly weighing whether to take Israel’s threats seriously. Turkey, which has reportedly sent a team of search-and-rescue workers to assist in Gaza, is also monitoring the situation closely.