Avigdor Liberman: Gaza cease fire can only come after 'harshest blow' to Hamas



Gaza cease-fire understanding can only be achieved after the IDF deals Hamas a harsh military blow, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said at the Maariv Leaders Conference in Jerusalem.
“In contrast to those who believe that an arrangement is possible with Hamas, I don’t believe there is any chance of this,” Liberman said.

Israel can not agree to Hamas’ terms for such a cease-fire understanding, because those demands include the lifting of all Israeli restrictions on Gaza’s border, he said.


That would mean an unregulated land and sea border by which Iranians, as well as any kind of arms and munitions could enter Gaza, Liberman said.


Hamas wants to end the Gaza “blockade” without agreeing to give up on its goal of destroying Israel. It also does not want to release the Israeli hostages it is holding or agree to demilitarize the Gaza Strip, he said.


A deal under these circumstances, “will never happen,” Liberman said.

He clarified that he hasn’t given up on the possibility of a cease-fire understanding with Hamas, along the lines of what existed after the 2014 Gaza war.


But unlike those who believe if can be negotiated, he holds that Hamas “has to be dealt the harshest blow we know to deliver, even if that means a comprehensive confrontation. We have to deliver a painful blow,” he said.

Such a military confrontation would deter any further Gaza violence for four or five years, he estimated.


“There will be a price" for such a military confrontation, Liberman said. The IDF is prepared for such an engagement, but because the advanced weaponry is more lethal with a wider and more exact range.


With regard to the recent diplomatic conflict between Moscow and Jerusalem over actions in Syria, Liberman said that one should focus on the fact that the dialogue continued between the governments in spite of the tensions. 


Russia has it legitimate national concerns, as does Israel, Liberman said.

Israel doesn't intend to compromise on its security interests. “If those interests are threatened, we will act,” Liberman said.