The feelings in Israel this weekend ranged from satisfaction to frustration -- satisfaction with the results of the operations against the tunnels and frustration with the heavy price paid in soldiers' lives; satisfaction with the heavy blow dealt to Hamas and frustration with the fact that Hamas is not begging for a cease-fire; satisfaction with the failure of the Qatari-Turkish cease-fire initiative and frustration with the U.S. position on the matter. The main action this weekend took place on the diplomatic track. Israel was astounded by the text of the cease-fire proposal drafted by Qatar and Turkey, which essentially adopted all of Hamas' demands -- including the lifting of the blockade of Gaza, the opening of the crossings and the release of the Schalit deal prisoners who were re-arrested after the kidnapping and murder of the three Israeli teens last month. The Diplomatic-Security Cabinet unanimously rejected this cease-fire proposal, for three primary reasons: first, its exclusion of Egypt from the picture; second, its exclusion of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas from the picture; and third, the backing it gave to Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, who, if the proposal were implemented, would have received "ownership" of Gaza. Israel was mostly angry at the U.S., which threw its support behind the Qatari-Turkish proposal without understanding the harm it would cause to three of its allies in the region: Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority. Fortunately for Israel, the dirty work of scuttling the proposal was done by Egypt, which has no qualms about talking harshly to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Israel also sent tough messages to Washington, which had to swallow its tongue (again) and was forced to change its position (again). The Qatari-Turkish proposal was abandoned, and the Egyptian proposal returned to being the center of attention. Meanwhile, a 12-hour humanitarian truce went into effect on Saturday morning and was extended by four hours on Saturday evening. On Saturday night, the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet agreed to a 24-hour extension of the humanitarian truce and it is expected that the truce will be extended by another day, to allow Gaza residents to celebrate Eid al-Fitr on Monday. If the truce holds, a pathway could be created that might allow for a longer-lasting agreement to be reached. Israel is hopeful that the Palestinians who go outside their homes during the truce will put pressure on Hamas to agree to a cease-fire. The widespread destruction in Gaza (mainly in the Shujaiyya and Beit Hanoun neighborhoods, where the IDF operated on the ground, but also elsewhere, as the IDF has struck more than 3,650 targets throughout Gaza) has aroused great fury and apparently increased the rift between the Gaza branch of Hamas, which is paying the price on the ground, and Mashaal, who is in Qatar. Hopefully, this pressure will cause Hamas to lower its demands. While humanitarian concerns and a desire to earn more legitimacy played a role in Israel's acceptance of a humanitarian truce, the decision to agree to it was made only after it became clear that Israel could continue its anti-tunnel operations during the truce. Of the 31 tunnels identified so far, 15 have been blown up already, and the IDF estimates it will take several more days to complete the work of destroying the tunnels. IDF troops have also uncovered large weapons stockpiles. Due to the size of these stockpiles, it was decided to destroy them in the field, rather than bring them to Israel. Combat brigade commanders, who met on Saturday in the south with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, believe that more than 700 armed Palestinian fighters have been killed during Operation Protective Edge, including dozens who were trapped in tunnels as they were blown up. Past experience shows that military commanders tend to overestimate enemy deaths, meaning that the actual number is more likely around 500. Hamas' critical mass may not have been harmed, but it is in distress in other areas. According to numerous reports, the number of rockets in its possession is dwindling. With the fighting ongoing in Gaza, the IDF is also monitoring other sectors, out of concern over parallel escalations. The northern border remains quiet, despite Hezbollah's provocative statements. The main worry is in Judea and Samaria. In an attempt to prevent an escalation there, it is expected that Israel will tighten security cooperation with the Palestinian Authority. And at the same time, Israel and Egypt will demand that Abbas play a role in any process to resolve the crisis in Gaza.
