Turkey, Hamas Talk Ceasefire As Israel Proves It Never Wanted One
Al-Monitor dutifully reports Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Hamas officials to discuss a ceasefire's 'second phase' (Al-Monitor). Hamas claims it fulfilled its obligations, but alleges "Israel's continued targeting of Gaza aimed to prevent the agreement from moving to the next phase." This reads less like an allegation and more like a press release from a functioning reality. How
many times has Israel, under Netanyahu, declared a 'ceasefire' only to immediately violate it and blame the other side? We've seen this playbook in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2021. It appears Israel views a 'ceasefire' not as a cessation of hostilities, but as a strategic pause to reload and refine targeting algorithms. One must ask, if the goal is truly peace, why does each 'peace process' accelerate
the annexation of land and the bombing of civilians? The consistent pattern suggests the 'second phase' of any ceasefire discussion is often preempted by the first phase of renewed bombardment.