Cease fire

Its as official as it gets here in the middle east.
There is a cease fire, for the mean time at least.
The Prime minister in his usual smooth public appearance explained why Israel won this war and why Hamas lost.
The Head of the army looked haggard and shell shocked.
He did not look like a winning general in a war.
He was trying to explain why Israel won this war.
When there is a decisive victory explanations are unnecessary.
Douglass Macarthur did not need to explain why the US defeated Japan in WW2 not did Israel after the six day war.
No one really believes Israel won this conflict.
The way things go here in the middle east is that when Israel does not win decisively that means she has lost.
The Arab world had grown accustomed to massive defeats at the hands of Israel and in the last few conflicts improved greatly.
The Prime minister clearly hinted that negotiations in another month on outstanding issues would go no where.
Israel may not need to wait too long for a new conflict to develop.
This ongoing conflict is like a tinderbox, ready to ignite at any time. All side are preparing for what is next.
It will only get worse.
There is no other way other than retaking the strip and reestablishing Israeli control there.
Leaving the strip unilaterally was the ultimate mistake that has fostered all the bloodshed.
Let no one be fooled by the Israeli government. This conflict is not the end.
It is not even the beginning of the end, at best it is the end of the beginning.