A diplomatic source told the Jerusalem Post that Hamas doesn’t believe it is currently within its best interests to spark further conflict with Israel. “It is very unlikely that a full-blown military conflict between Hamas and [Israel] will reignite, even if no deal is reached in Cairo,” the source said.
The source continued, proclaiming that Egypt and other Arab countries are urging Hamas not to strike up further tension with the Jewish state. “Hamas has not shown signs that it is interested in returning to a wide-scale confrontation. We are hearing reports from Cairo that Hamas is facing heavy pressure from Egypt and others.”
The source also cited troubling economic times in Gaza for the pressure faced by the jihadi group to de-escalate its confrontation with Jerusalem.
Truce talks between the two actors have continued to stall. Egypt’s foreign ministry announced Tuesday night that ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have been indefinitely suspended. The chief Palestinian negotiator had announced earlier in the day that there had been “no progress” in long-term ceasefire talks. A Hamas spokesman demanded Tuesday, “If Israel wants calm it must accede to the demands and rights of the Palestinians.”
After little progress had been made in its role as an intermediary, Egypt issued an ultimatum that its latest eleven-point ceasefire proposal would be the last truce offer it would present.
Meanwhile, the IDF has continued to respond to indiscriminate rocket fire being carried out by Hamas. On Tuesday night, the IDF carried out 25 airstrikes over the span of a few hours, Israel’s Channel 2 News reported.
On Tuesday, Hamas violated its eleventh ceasefire agreement since Operation Protective Edge began, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesman Mark Regev.
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