Time to cut losses?

Israel can dig in — or declare victory over Hamas and gain advantages

It is becoming clear that the price for the return of the hostages held by Hamas is the end of the Gaza War and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. No amount of death and destruction in Gaza will change this — because, as the Wall Street Journal showed in a fascinating expose last week, the demonic leaders of Hamas obviously do not care.

The Israeli government appears to have come close to accepting the brutal truth. Receiving the hostages in exchange for an end to the war is the logical outcome of the ceasefire framework which President Biden presented on May 31 as an Israeli proposal – and which Israel did not explicitly deny. Yet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s concurrent statements that Israel will not relent until Hamas is destroyed appeared to contradict it, and Hamas now insists on clarity which Netanyahu may not be able, or willing, to provide.

So a pivot point arrives.