When the IDF carried out airstrikes over Gaza this week, almost every mainstream news outlet reported that Israel had broken the ceasefire. Many were eager to use this misinformation to deliberately portray Israel as the side that doesn’t want peace. But this cannot be further from the truth.
Here is why the nearly two-month ceasefire between Hamas and Israel collapsed.
Firstly, the first phase of the agreed ceasefire ended on 1st March as originally intended. Israel wanted to extend this phase, which would have enabled the return of more hostages, but Hamas repeatedly refused. There were two concrete mediation proposals presented, and Israel agreed to both, but Hamas refused them. So, Israel didn’t ‘break’ a ceasefire. Rather it collapsed because of Hamas’s failing to release the remaining Israeli hostages.
The very purpose of the ceasefire from Israel’s perspective was to facilitate the releasing of hostages, and Hamas broke the terms. Israel could have resumed military action on 1st March, but held fire for twenty days hoping for Hamas to agree. Israel’s actions took the world by surprise, but it would not have been a surprise to Hamas.
Secondly, Hamas continued to launch rockets at Israeli cities and plan terror attacks. This again was a violation of the terms of the ceasefire. Hamas took advantage of the pause in fighting to rearm, rebuild tunnels, and prepare for future attacks on Israel.
Thirdly, delays by Hamas in providing the names of hostages scheduled for release caused disruptions in the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. The terror group’s use of released hostages in propaganda efforts and conducting humiliating ceremonies during handovers was grotesque and a violation of the ceasefire’s spirit and terms.
It should also be pointed out that Israel is not fighting Gaza. The IDF is striking Hamas terrorist targets, aiming to achieve the war’s objectives, which include the release of all Israeli hostages and dismantling of Hamas’s infrastructure, removing the terrorist threat from Gaza to Israel’s security and citizens.
The reality is that Hamas is still holding 59 hostages; if they had freed them, the fighting would not have resumed.
