Donald Trump’s legacy achievement took place only nine months into his second term, but it is now at risk of falling apart.
Hamas went on a murderous rampage in recent days, killing Gazans in the street, and it carried out an attack beyond the established “yellow line” of retreat by Israel.
It is now being reported that two members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were killed in an incident that represented a blatant violation of the peace agreement.
Not long after the peace deal was announced, reports started to surface that Hamas was carrying out summary executions in the streets of Gaza.
Israeli hostage negotiator Gershon Baskin explained, "Hamas is killing them because they can. Hamas is a criminal organization that has ruled the Palestinian people in Gaza for almost 20 years. This is not a democratic, liberal regime."
Baskin also claimed that Israel had armed militia groups inside Gaza, a fact that was contributing to the chaos.
He stated, "Israel has empowered, with weapons and money, gangs of Palestinians who were involved in mostly illegal activities in the past -- selling drugs, illegal smuggling -- and they've empowered them as an alternative to Hamas. This is not sustainable."
On Sunday, it seemed as though the entire peace deal had fallen apart, with attacks reported against IDF troops.
The IDF later issued a statement: "Earlier today, terrorists fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire toward IDF troops operating to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the Rafah area, in southern Gaza, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement.”
It continued, “In response, the IDF has begun striking in the area to eliminate the threat and dismantle tunnel shafts and military structures used for terrorist activity.”
Hamas denied the allegations, stating, "We affirm our full commitment to implementing everything that has been agreed upon, foremost among which is the ceasefire in all areas of the Gaza Strip. We have no knowledge of any events or clashes taking place in the Rafah area. We have no connection to any events occurring in those areas, nor can we communicate with any of our fighters there if any of them remain alive.”
The IDF would later explain that a small militia group emerged from one of Hamas’ tunnels and fired on an evacuation vehicle, killing two troops and injuring another.
Professor Kobi Michael, senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and the Misgav Institute, observed, "Today’s violation of the agreement was severe. I assume that this is not going to be the last one. Israel complies [with President Trump’s] plan and wants to continue with the realization of the plan.”
He continued, "This agreement was violated since the first day by Hamas. And it continued with their behavior with regard to the hostages, the dead hostages. All the manipulation that they are doing plays on the nerves of Israeli society.”
Israel has also claimed that Hamas stands in violation of the deal because Hamas has not yet returned all of the dead hostages (Hamas claims it does not know where they are). According to reports, the White House is considering offering a bounty to Gazans to help find the remains amid the rubble to keep the deal intact. To say that this peace deal is hanging on by a thread is a massive understatement.
