Our friend Ed Morrissey at our sister site Hot Air picked up an intriguing story that I think is a measure of how desperate Hamas is at this point.
A senior Hamas official suggested the Gaza-based militant group would recognize Israel as a step toward ending the long-running divisions between the Palestinian factions.
Speaking to Al-Monitor in his Doha office on Monday, Mousa Abu Marzouk struck a careful tone on Israel some two months after his group carried out the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.
“You should follow the official stance,” Abu Marzouk said. “The official stance is that the [Palestine Liberation Organization] has recognized the state of Israel.”
The internationally recognized umbrella grouping of most Palestinian factions, excluding Hamas and Islamic Jihad, formally recognized Israel’s right to exist and renounced terrorism in 1993. In exchange, Israel accepted the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people.
If they're floating that, you know they're desperate. They're not doing it because they've suddenly had a great revelation that Israel has the right to exist. He was likely floating it, hoping it could save their hides.
They're about to get wiped out in Gaza. They've confirmed now they're flooding the tunnels, as we reported. Even the leaders living in their luxury hotels in Qatar are feeling the heat. Some of the leaders supposedly fled Qatar because their security is "no longer guaranteed there." That sounds like they thought Israel was going to be coming for them shortly.
As Morrissey noted, it was doubtless not a sincere offer; rather an effort to escape being wiped out – one that Israel likely will not and should not believe, particularly given Harmas' history of not being honest on agreements. Not to mention their statement last month about wanting to have more Oct. 7-type attacks until Israel is annihilated. But it does signal they know they're up against it and are flailing for answers.
But Abu Marzouk is already pulling it back, saying his words were "taken out of context" and "resistance will continue."
So this confirms why Israel needs to keep holding their feet to the fire until they break them and wipe them out to finish this thing. That's the only way to ensure Israel's safety.
Yet, Joe Biden is now starting to waver just when he should be holding fast. He told donors that support for Israel in the war was waning and that they needed to change their approach and their government.