Retired Col. Oren Solomon said Monday in an interview with Channel 14’s Noam Amir that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s announcement rejecting the 15-point agreement for now is part of a deliberate strategy: “The prime minister made a decision early on: pursue a strategy where on one hand the hostages come home and an agreement is signed, but in practice he planned from the start that there would be an exit point—and that’s Hamas’s refusal to disarm.”
Solomon emphasized that alongside all the declarations from those involved in Gaza, including the Peace Council, attention should be paid to what’s not being discussed: “The prime minister is looking ahead. In the current situation, Israel has no intention of adopting the 15-point document as long as Hamas hasn’t completely disarmed. At the same time, Netanyahu hasn’t addressed reconstruction of the Strip or bringing in stabilization forces. But the reality on the ground is advancing: The U.S. is taking control of concrete flow for sealing tunnels, and meanwhile, Palestinian forces are undergoing training for future coordination and cooperation. In practice, I don’t see anyone meeting this challenge of dealing with the tunnels who isn’t the IDF,” he added.
“Right now the Hamas terror organization is putting on shows and playing the game. The dynamic is that the U.S. is looking for achievements—and that’s where the tension and risk in the process lie. Both Israel and Hamas are playing for time: while Hamas strengthens civilian control, Israel is focused on Lebanon and Iran. We’re also playing the arena prioritization game, and later we’ll get to Gaza. The media’s job is to monitor and ensure there’s no start of reconstruction as long as there’s no disarmament in the Strip,” Solomon concluded.