Hamas’ stance, demands in truce talks leave Netanyahu in dilemma: Analyst

By Alireza Hashemi

The insistence on complete military withdrawal from Gaza by Hamas in ongoing truce talks with the Israeli regime has left Benjamin Netanyahu in a dangerous dilemma, says an analyst.

In an interview with the Press TV website, Hossein Kana'ani Moghaddam, a Tehran-based West Asia affairs analyst, said the embattled Israeli premier has failed to secure the release of captives through both diplomacy and military means, signaling an end of his political career.

He said the Gaza-based resistance group has conditioned the release of Israeli captives on complete cessation of the nearly seven-month-long genocidal onslaught on the coastal Palestinian territory.

This demand is informed by past experiences that show the Israeli regime does not keep its promises.

“This is definitely a revolutionary decision by the Palestinian resistance group, which has put the regime in a very serious dilemma as it cannot deal with the military and diplomatic defeats it has suffered in Gaza, and it's not ready to leave the region empty-handed," the Iranian analyst said, referring to ongoing ceasefire talks involving Egyptian, Qatari, and American mediators.

The talks underway in the Egyptian capital Cairo have so far failed to make headway due to indecision and procrastination displayed by the Israeli regime officials.

Moghaddam said the regime has failed to achieve any of its goals in Gaza, including the “elimination” of Hamas and the release of captives through military means. Instead, it has resorted to daily massacres and child killings, which amount to genocide.

The far-right cabinet of Netanyahu has also been grappling with internal turmoil, with both settlers and opposition politicians mounting pressure on him over his failure to secure the release of captives.

"Within the Israeli-occupied territories, divisions have intensified, a trend of reverse migration has escalated, and economic difficulties have worsened. Internationally, the regime is seriously isolated, as evidenced by the US's refusal to veto a UN resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire," he added.

Governments in the West, including in the United States, which have openly supported the Israeli genocide in Gaza are also facing massive protests demanding an end to their arms sales to Israel.

Global pressure on Israel to raise possibility of Gaza truce: Iran FM

Iran

The Iranian analyst drew parallels between the current support for the Palestinian cause and the 1960s student movement against the Vietnam War in the US, suggesting a significant shift in public opinion.

"Popular support for the Palestinian cause, particularly among young Americans and Europeans, has led to a nationwide uprising of young people and their professors,” he told the Press TV website.

“In the US, demonstrations have spread to at least 30 universities. This is reminiscent of the 1960s student movement against the American war in Vietnam, which eventually led to the United States being forced to withdraw from Vietnam.”

In the face of mounting pressure, Netanyahu seems reluctant to admit defeat, hoping to reverse the trend and save his political career, which is why he continuously threatens to launch an invasion of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, Moghaddam elaborated.

He stated that the regime has been following a scorched-earth policy to make Gaza uninhabitable for Palestinians, and Netanyahu can present the destruction of Rafah as an achievement to his supporters.

Such a mistake, he warned, would lead to severe humanitarian consequences but also push the regime closer to its eventual fate of annihilation.

“The Israeli regime is attempting to deliver what it describes as the final blow to Gaza. If Egypt does not open its borders, if Jordan does not open the borders for the OCCUPIED West Bank, then certainly these two million people may face a massacre, and a new catastrophe will occur in the occupied territories. This will push the regime closer to its end,” he stressed.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir