Nowhere To Go

Apparently the US pressure to release the trapped Hamas terrorists in Gaza worked and Israel is going to release them after all as we’re told in a report from The Jerusalem Post:

Israel and the United States on Tuesday reached a significant compromise, agreeing on the deportation of some 200 Hamas terrorists, currently hiding in tunnels within an IDF-controlled Yellow Line in Rafah, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

The hope is that their release will be part of the overall effort to take Hamas from power:

This agreement comes as part of ongoing efforts to eliminate Hamas's presence in the region.

One problem, though – no one wants to take them:

However, despite the arrangement, no country has yet agreed to accept the deported individuals, leaving a key aspect of the deal unresolved.

The trapped terrorists wasn’t the only thing discussed:

This decision follows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with special envoy and son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, at his Jerusalem office. They also discussed disarming Hamas, demilitarizing Gaza, and ensuring Hamas has no role in Gaza ever again.

One thing was agreed on:

"Any decision regarding the 200 terrorists trapped in Rafah will be made in coordination with the Trump administration," a spokesperson for Netanyahu said on Monday.

More talks will be held as well:

Kushner arrived in Israel on Sunday for talks with Netanyahu on implementing the US plan to end the Gaza war, a source familiar with the matter said. Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive and join the talks as well.

The PM met with them not long ago:

Netanyahu met with Witkoff and Kushner just last month to discuss developments and updates in the region.

Regardless of all the other issues, the situation with these trapped terrorists must be settled:

US officials also made it clear in recent days that they want to resolve the issue of Hamas terrorists in the tunnels, saying that they "think [the terrorists] should get free passage, after Goldin's release."

The Israeli government spokesperson told Reuters that any decision on trapped Hamas fighters will be made in collaboration with the Trump administration.

As I noted yesterday, Hamas is using this recent development to extort more from Israel than agreed upon. And it looks like it worked because Hamas released the remains of an Israeli soldier that the terrorists kept for 11 years. The fact that they had the body stored that long makes me think they are doing the same for the last of the bodies in spite of their claims they can’t get to them. Trust me when I tell you Hamas will play these games as long as the US lets them. The hope is that they will disarm without putting up a fight in light of the leniency they’ve been given so far. What do I think? I’ll believe them disarming when I see it, which I highly doubt.

Iran’s Warning

The US and Israel may very have to tackle Iran again as we read in an article from Israel Hayom:

Iran is preparing to launch 2,000 missiles simultaneously at Israel, working around the clock to overwhelm Israeli defenses with sheer numbers, regional sources told The New York Times. According to the report, Iran is also continuing work on a new enrichment site. Tehran has refused to allow international inspectors access to this site or any other suspected nuclear sites beyond those already declared. Iran is expected to respond to any Israeli attack far less restrained than it did in June, said Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group. Iranian sources told him missile factories are working 24 hours a day, he said, and if there's another war, "they hope to fire 2,000 at once to overwhelm Israeli defenses, not 500 over 12 days," as they did in June.

The report notes that Israel isn’t too concerned now:

However, there's no evidence of an imminent new attack. But "Israel feels the work isn't complete and sees no reason not to renew the conflict, so Iran is doubling its readiness for the next round," he explained.

Iran is in a bad way these days and given their pride they would love to flex their muscles again:

The New York Times notes Iran is more isolated from the West than it has been in decades. Regional Arab powers like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates have increased their influence in Washington and with President Donald Trump, partly through economic ties and partly through willingness to work with the US to try to find a lasting settlement to the Gaza war. Syria's new president will arrive at the White House on Monday to seek American support. Syria was Iran's strategic ally under the Assad government that collapsed last year. At the same time, those same regional powers are working to maintain their relationships with Iran, according to Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House.

While not too concerned, Israel and even the US will strike again if the need arises:

Israeli officials have warned since June that they're prepared to strike Iran again if it gets close to producing nuclear weapons, an intention Iran has always denied. Israelis acknowledge Iran's nuclear program has been weakened but not destroyed, partly because Trump stopped the June war earlier than Israel wanted.

Iran is talking pretty boldly though:

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Tuesday American hostility toward Iran is deeply rooted. "America's arrogant nature accepts nothing but submission," he said in a speech marking the anniversary of the takeover of the American embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979. Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Washington proposed "unacceptable and impossible conditions," including direct talks and a complete, verifiable halt to Iran's uranium enrichment. He again rejected direct talks and ended enrichment.

The arrogant bloviating may only serve to make the world think they are still important:

But he reiterated Iran remains open to indirect talks under certain conditions. They include guarantees against further military attacks or economic pressure and compensation for war damages, demands Washington isn't willing to accept. In his remarks to Al-Jazeera, Araghchi also warned Israel of "grave consequences" for any future attack.

Will another round of attacks happen? I pray not, but these leaders are unpredictable.