From Today's Israeli Press
HAMAS IS GAZA AND GAZA IS HAMAS
A LONG AND PAINFUL ROAD: Yoav Limor asserts in Israel Hayom that Hamas is in no rush to violate the deal.
ISRAEL'S DEMANDS: Ron Ben Yishai claims in Yedioth Ahronoth that Israel cannot afford jihad armies on the Gaza border.
SUMMARIZING THE WAR: Yair Sheleg argues in Makor Rishon that ending the war in a deal rather than "total victory" does not diminish its great feats.
CENTER OF GRAVITY: Yoni Ben Menachem stresses in ArabExpert that most Hamas terror will now shift to Judea and Samaria, orchestrated by Zaher Jabarin from Turkey.
RESTORING SOLIDARITY: Amos Harel proclaims in Haaretz that Trump, not Netanyahu, will decide whether to restart the war and who will govern Gaza.
COMPETING PLANS: Neville Teller contends in The Jerusalem Post that international programs can rebuild a decimated Gaza and ensure lasting stability.
From Today's Arabic Press
A WAR ENDS; A CATASTROPHE BEGINS
ONE ROUND IN AN ONGOING STRUGGLE: Now that the Gaza truce has entered into effect, it is important to realize that, although this war is merely one round in an ongoing struggle, it has brought the realization of Palestinian national objectives closer, insists Palestinian commentator Talal 'Awkal in Monday's leading Palestinian daily al-Ayyam. And while Palestinian approaches regarding the methods used to continue the struggle fall into two camps, no side must diminish the significance of what has been achieved and all sides must engage in dialogue while remaining united against aggression and occupation.
DEBATING WHAT SHOULD BE DONE: While Hamas did not anticipate the fact that Israel could sustain a prolonged war or bear its immense costs, it still remains that what it achieved was no ordinary victory, but a feat that has astonished its friends and foes alike, maintains Editor-in-Chief Ibrahim al-Amin in Monday's left-leaning pro-Hezbollah Beirut daily al-Akhbar. This was the result of unprecedented planning, execution, and preparedness to sustain a prolonged conflict in which the enemy was offered no respite, coupled with an impressive performance in negotiating under massive pressure from the U.S. and its Arab allies.
THE "DAY AFTER" AGAIN: Investigations regarding the "day after" will be begin for all parties now that the Gaza ceasefire has begun to be implemented, predicts Egyptian commentator Sameh Rashed on Monday's Qatari-owned, London-based, pan-Arab news portal www.alaraby.co.uk. The performance of Netanyahu and Israel, Hamas, and the Arab states will all be subjected to critical assessments in what all parties view as a watershed moment paving the way for a decisive phase in which Israel wants to liquidate the Palestinian cause, Hamas wants to revive it, and the Arab states want to use to achieve a final settlement.
A CEASEFIRE FINALLY: Now that the Gaza war is heading towards a final conclusion, a new map of the Middle East is taking shape, bringing catastrophes to its nations as the region changes for the worse, insists Lebanese commentator Tony Khouri on Monday's Lebanese www.elnashra.com. This is despite the scenes of joy and celebrations of alleged "victory" among Hamas' supporters, despite the existential threats that lie in wait for the Palestinian cause and the perils awaiting Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria as Israel expands with Western approval.
WHAT WILL TRUMP DO?: While it may seem overly optimistic, an objective assessment of the chances of Trump succeeding or failing in reopening the Arab/Israeli settlement file suggests that the odds of success are significantly higher than the likelihood of failure, argues former Palestinian information minister Nabil 'Amr in Monday's Saudi daily Asharq al-Awsat. This is primarily because the Gaza war has generated regional and international momentum for a resolution of the Palestinian cause while depriving the opponents of a settlement of the ability to hinder its advancement.