As the world fixes its gaze on the long-awaited Israel and Hamas ceasefire, an expert has shared his concerns as the troubled region looks beyond the two-year conflict that has left tens of thousands dead
Celebrations have erupted in both Tel Aviv and Khan Yunis following the news that Israel and Hamas have now agreed to the initial phases of a plan to end fighting in Gaza. But experts fear there may be a long and painful road ahead for both sides of a horrific war which has raged for two long years.
It’s hoped that 48 Israeli hostages will now be released, although fewer than half of them are believed to be alive. Their conditions are also said to be unclear. Meanwhile, for the people of Gaza, the depths of grief is unfathomable.
It’s believed some 10,000 undiscovered corpses could still be lying beneath the rubble of the decimated region, in addition to the 67,000 Palestinians who have lost their lives during the conflict.
And even as the world holds out hope for peace at last, it’s feared this agreement remains fragile. An intelligence-led security policies expert, Professor Anthony Glees, has warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may “fight on” even after the Gaza ceasefire, with two “evil crackpots”.
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Professor Glees, a reader in politics at Brunel University, told the Mirror: “We think the Israeli cabinet will ratify Phase One of the deal later this afternoon. We’re told that the Qataris, who with Turkey have been playing the role of honest broker throughout, have told Hamas that Israel will stop fighting once ratification has taken place, and we’re told the two evil crackpots in Netanyahu’s Cabinet, [Bezalel] Smotrich and [Itamar] Ben-Gvir won’t resign, so ensuring Netanyahu remains prime minister for the time being and can then fight on as ‘peacemaker’.
“For analysts like me, it’s vital not to forget the appalling attack of 7 October 2023, the largest single massacre of Jews since the Second World War, carefully planned and executed by fanatical killers to evoke the collective memory of the Holocaust. This was all deliberate, I have no doubt.”
He continued: “But by the same token, we cannot forget the ca 67,000 Palestinians killed, many of them women and children, or the children traumatised forever, even where they have not been crippled by Israeli ordnance. We should not forget the land-grabbing Israeli thugs in the West Bank who seized their chance, supported by Netanyahu and his ministers.
“A ceasefire under the terms of Trump’s deal does mean, I think, a genuine ceasefire, and that means a new opportunity for Gazans to live out their lives in peace.
“That said, we should not forget either that Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of Hamas’s 7 October attack, waited almost three decades in an Israeli gaol to carry out his horrible crimes. Only a fool would believe that somewhere out there, another Sinwar is already thinking of how to kill Jews at some future point.”
The long-awaited ceasefire has been delayed until this evening, with bombs continuing to rain down on Gaza. This first phase will see Israeli troops leave around 70 per cent of Gaza, and following hostage releases, will hand over Palestinian prisoners.
All the while, the world will be looking on with a mixture of hope and anxiety, praying that the events of the last two years will not be repeated.
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