Hamas leadership has decided to scale back its kite terrorism campaign and it is likely to come to a halt by next week, the Palestinian daily Al-Quds reported Wednesday.
According to the report, the decision was made in an effort to prevent a full-fledged clash between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The terrorist arson campaign, launched in late April, has so far decimated over 9,000 acres of forest and farmlands on the Israeli side of the border. Incendiary kites and balloons have caused millions of dollars in damage to the area over the past three months and environmental experts say it will take at least 15 years to rehabilitate the vegetation and wildlife that have been destroyed.
Al-Quds quoted senior Gaza sources as saying that Hamas' decision stemmed from their reluctance to see Gaza, which is in a dire humanitarian state, subjected to another war.
Hamas has therefore decided to heed the advice of Egyptian officials, who warned that Israel's patience was wearing thin and Gaza's rulers would be wide to curb the kite terrorism campaign.
Gaza-based terrorists fired 200 projectiles at Israel's border towns over the weekend, triggering a forceful Israeli response. While an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire was achieved eventually, it did little to affect arson terrorism.
Dozens of fires, sparked by incendiary kites and balloons, scorched the Israeli side of the border on Monday and Tuesday, with one balloon landing in a kindergarten in the Sdot Negev Regional Council as children were playing in the yard.
No injuries were reported in the incident, but defense officials said Israel was no longer willing to contain the situation and that a military campaign in Gaza was getting closer by the day.
'We may have no choice but to topple Hamas'
Maj. Gen. (ret.) Gershon Hacohen, who was the officer in charge of implementing the 2005 disengagement from Gaza Strip, told Israel Hayom that Hamas' provocations may lead to war.
"Hamas doesn't want a full-blown conflict, only to widen the gray areas where it operates. We have to be creative – not just technologically – to prevent that," he noted.
"When it comes to Gaza, Hamas is stuck. From an ideological standpoint, its border riots and 'March of Return' is about ending the 'occupation' in Israel – something that enjoys wall-to-wall Palestinian consensus. Hamas will not relinquish this [ideology] and that's why we have to act forcibly in Judea and Samaria, too. When it comes to Gaza, the [Israeli] interest is to maintain its separation from Judea and Samaria."
Still, Hacohen said that in the event of another war with Gaza, Israel may have no choice but to seize control of the enclave, even if it does not completely serve its interests.
"It's good for us that someone else, not Abu Mazen [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas] is ruling Gaza because it undermines the EU's pressure to form a Palestinian state in the 1967 lines. This is why we don't want to topple Hamas' regime, but if we're left with no other choice and we end up going into Gaza, we may have to eliminate Hamas.
"If that happens, we'll have to be very careful not to hand it [Gaza] to Abu Mazen on a silver platter. It's inconceivable that would we go in, fight and eliminate Hamas, then just hand it [Gaza] over to him. We'll have to come up with something more creative."
He further urged the IDF to "think outside of the box" with respect to dealing with kite terrorism.
he cautioned against politicizing military decisions, such as IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot's position against targeting kite cells comprising children, Hachoen stressed that "we have to prevent any breach of our sovereignty, period. This doesn't necessarily mean killing 8-year-olds. We have to be creative and think outside the box. The IDF has to find a solution to arson terrorism."
Former National Security Council Director Maj. Gen. (ret.) Giora Eiland, for his part, said that when it comes to the Gaza Strip, the only thing guiding Israel should be its own interests.
"We keep coming up with tactical solutions for the situation, and that's partially correct, but there is a lack of strategic thought about our interests versus reality on the ground, and whether or not our actions promote Israeli interests," he explained.
"The reality is that, for the past 12 years, Gaza Strip has been an independent state. It has a strong government, clear borders, a military and foreign policy. Israel is always better off dealing with a state rather than a terrorist organization.
"Gaza may be an enemy state, but Israel is surrounded by those and it knows how to regulate its relations with them," he continued. "Israel has no territorial, economic or political interest in Gaza. The only interest it has is maintaining peace and security. Hamas' interests are also simple – it wants to stay in power, gain international legitimacy and rehabilitate Gaza.
"These interests are not so far apart and the differences can be bridged. But to do that, Israel has to engage Hamas government directly. This is the only way to end the kite terrorism and secure a prisoner exchange deal. Appealing to Gazans is ineffective."
Eiland maintains that "the diplomatic and security price we will pay will be minor but reaching an agreement will have major benefits because there will be peace and quiet on the border. Given tensions in the northern sector, a quiet southern border is vital. That's the only interest Israel should consider," he said.
