No end game

“Even as the truce has been productive because of the continuous release of the captives that had lasted for a week, the resumption of hostilities is imminent.

While the release of Noralin Babadilla presented Filipinos a reason to celebrate since she was the last of the Hamas hostages, trepidation still dominates since the cabal of terror, along with the chance that the tragedy of 7 October will be repeated, remains.

The generosity of Israel to the two released Filipino hostages, the other one being caregiver Gelienor “Jimmy” Pacheco, who was released last week, giving them equal recognition by its government as Victims of Terrorism, is heartwarming. Still, all of these will come to naught if the threat has no closure.

Hamas has been using the 239 hostages as a bargaining chip amid the relentless Israel Defense Forces’ offensive, granting them the needed reprieve to allow their leadership a chance to slip out of Gaza or to regroup with the help of the proxy armies of some Arab nations.

The terrorists have indicated in its Charter, which it calls the Hamas covenant, that its purpose was to exterminate Israel as a nation and to wipe out the existence of the Jews, which makes all efforts for co-existence in Gaza futile.

Israel, for its part, has committed not to let up against the former rulers of the Gaza Strip until all the hostages are released.

Thus far, 58 Israelis and 18 foreign citizens have been released from Gaza, including the two Filipinos.

Under the terms for the temporary pause in hostilities, the ceasefire holds while Hamas releases hostages and Israel transfers Palestinian prisoners to the Red Cross.

There are still 173 individuals being held, in addition to the four abductees whom Hamas hostaged before 7 October.

The casualty toll in Israel currently stands at over 1,200 people during the 7 October massacre.

Based on Israeli government figures, there are 33 minors among the murder victims and 25 elderly people aged 80 or more. A total of 304 of the murdered victims and one of the missing are foreigners, including those who have double citizenship.

In the nearly two-month war, more than 11,000 missiles and rockets were fired at Israel, but over 1,300 fell in the Gaza Strip, hitting the enclave’s hospitals, schools, population centers, and civilians.

The Israeli Embassy reported that Noralin was undergoing medical evaluation at Tel HaShomer Hospital in Israel before she was brought home.

Most of the families of the released Israeli hostages have tempered their celebration as they said that it is not yet an occasion to rejoice with many hostages still held by Hamas.

Israel and Hamas struck a last-minute agreement on Thursday to extend the ceasefire amid the freeing of more hostages and the transport of more aid to Gaza.

In the campaign to make Hamas accountable for the 7 October attack and for Israel to fulfill its goal of releasing all hostages, much of Gaza has been hit by seven weeks of Israeli bombardment and the IDF army assault.

The ongoing threat was brought to the fore after the deadly shooting in Jerusalem, which killed three people and injured 16 others. It was a potent reminder of the existing potential for violence.

The attack was carried out by two armed terrorists who are brothers sympathetic to Hamas.

Plans to resume the Israeli offensive were called off after Hamas offered to release more hostages.

The earlier position of Israel was not to give in to a halt in the military push unless all the hostages were freed, but it had to make adjustments amid pressures exerted by its allies, including the United States, as anti-Israeli protests grew globally.

Israel had agreed to the concession of releasing at least ten hostages per day to keep the ceasefire going.

Even as the truce has been productive because of the continuous release of the captives that had lasted for a week, the resumption of hostilities is imminent, as IDF indicated that it has objectives that still need to be met.

Filipinos continue to closely watch the developments of the anti-terror campaign for a good reason: Israel hosts 30,000 migrant Filipinos who may continue to face threats unless Hamas is defeated.

As Israel has warned, no one will be safe unless terror ends once and for all.

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Credit belongs to: tribune.net.ph