As the tahidya, or ‘calm,’ enters day two, Hamas has already reneged on pledges to Israel and Egypt that it will halt smuggling operations.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh stated, “We cannot talk about stopping smuggling because it is something beyond our ability as a government, and we did not give a commitment in this regard.”
This comes as no surprise. As noted in Palestinian Rocket Report’s second dispatch, Hamas has never lived up to previous ceasefires. Rather, it uses the time to regroup and prepare for more violence.
Shalom Halevi, spokesperson for Sderot’s embattled population, echoes these sentiments. “When a group decides that it wants to destroy Israel, what do you think they’re doing during the ceasefire? They’re taking the next few days to prepare for another attack.”
