Israeli attack on Gaza had little impact on Hamas structure: Politico

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Politico
30 Nov 2023 19:05

The extension was announced moments before the truce was set to expire at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) on Thursday.

Israeli soldiers are seen near the separation barrier with the Gaza Strip, southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023 (AP Photo)

According to Politico, "Hamas' rule" appears to be unaffected by the Israeli war on Gaza, as seen by its capacity to carry out intricate discussions, uphold the cease-fire with other armed factions, and plan the liberation of hostages.

Politico speculated that Yehya Sinwar and other top Hamas figures have probably moved south.

Following almost 2 months of war, the Israelis have failed to reach any of the Resistance's high-ranking officials, falling short of accomplishing their announced war goals.

"Israel" and the resistance had agreed to extend a temporary truce by another day, as reported by Qatar, which has been mediating between the two sides.

The extension was announced moments before the truce was set to expire at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) on Thursday.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry stated that the truce would continue under the same terms as before, involving the release of 10 Israeli captives per day in exchange for the release of 30 Palestinian prisoners.

Qatar announces agreement between Palestinian, Israeli side to extend the humanitarian pause for an additional day.

Doha - November 30, 2023

Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari announced that the Palestinian and Israeli…
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) November 30, 2023

Negotiations for the extension came down to the wire, with last-minute disagreements over the captives to be freed.

A standoff occurred earlier when the resistance claimed "Israel" rejected a proposed list, including seven living captives and the remains of three individuals killed in previous Israeli airstrikes. "Israel" later stated that Hamas submitted an improved list, leading to the extension.

Talks ongoing amid challenges

Negotiators have been working to hammer out details for further extensions of the truce. The expectation is to extend the pause in fighting for at least another day or two, with a focus on releasing women and children.

But talks are becoming more challenging as most women and children held by the resistance have been freed, and the Qassam Brigades are expected to seek greater releases in return for freeing men and soldiers.

International pressure has mounted for the ceasefire to continue, given nearly eight weeks of Israeli bombardment and a ground invasion in Gaza that has led to thousands of Palestinian martyrs and a humanitarian crisis.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has underscored that "Israel" will resume its genocidal campaign to eliminate the resistance after the phase of returning captives is exhausted.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in "Israel" to press for further extensions of the truce and captives releases. The situation remains tense, with potential implications for the broader conflict and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister @Netanyahu and I discussed efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages and accelerate delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance into Gaza. I emphasized the need for Israel to take every possible measure to avoid civilian harm. pic.twitter.com/GLitYLeM1e
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 30, 2023

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) killed two Palestinian children during a raid on the town of Jenin, according to Palestinian health officials.

The IOF said its troops fired on individuals who threw explosives at them, without specifying if it referred to the boys who were not seen throwing anything.

Separately, the IOF reported killing two PIJ fighters during the raid.