After Hamas launched hundreds of rockets into Israel, the IDF responded by destroying a few buildings in the Gaza Strip, including the one that housed the Hamas television station, and then agreed to a cease-fire. Ron Ben-Yishai argues that Jerusalem was too quick to do so:
The Israeli acceptance of a cease-fire the minute Hamas offered it erodes what is left of Israel’s deterrence, opening the door for further and more severe rounds of fighting in the not-too-distant future. . . . Moreover, both the truce efforts and the surprise rocket attack launched against Israel on Monday were Hamas’s doing. Israel barely responded, serving as the pawn of an organization that is waging a war of attrition against the residents of its southern region. . . .
One should be skeptical about the chances of the current cease-fire agreement leading to long-term quiet [for] two reasons: firstly, the arrogance demonstrated by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, who have been repeatedly declaring over the past 24 hours that they “taught Israel a lesson.” Moreover, . . . it’s doubtful [Hamas is] suffering much from the damage Israel inflicted on its military assets. [From the terrorist group’s perspective], that’s a reasonable price to pay for the psychological blow inflicted on Israel. . . .
Showing restraint meant something so long as Hamas was not stepping over the line while provoking Israel, and so long as Israeli deterrence was maintained vis-à-vis Gaza’s terror organizations. This week’s events have created a strategic turning point for Hamas, [that will dangerously embolden its leaders]. The Israeli leadership failed to notice this turning point, [and it’s likely] the Gaza border communities’ residents will pay the highest price.
Read more on Ynet: https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5401881,00.html