The obvious allure of the ceasefire lies in its immediate cessation of hostilities. But this is merely a facade of progress, a superficial calm that does not address the core of the conflict: Hamas’s genocidal intentions for Israel, which it has repeatedly stated in its founding charter and public statements, and which it acted upon in grisly fashion on October 7, on a scale never before achieved.

Indeed, as Israel has painfully learned time and again, ceasefires do more than just allow problems to continue to fester: they provide Hamas with invaluable opportunities to regroup, rearm, and strengthen its military capabilities. Even the term “ceasefire” is a misnomer, as Hamas has consistently violated such pauses to keep up its campaign of terror over the years. On November 30, for example, Hamas gunmen opened fire at a bus stop in Jerusalem, murdering three innocent people in the process. Later that evening, Hamas resumed launching indiscriminate rockets at Israel’s cities, forcing the Israeli military to respond. As the adage goes, “We cease. They fire.” …

A long-term ceasefire, and even additional short-term ones, are strategic pitfalls. They foster a false sense of security, set dangerous precedents, and fail to address the conflict’s causes. The path to restoring calm to Gaza is undoubtedly complex, but it cannot succeed through demonstrably ineffective measures that fail to meet what must be the ultimate objective: vanquishing Hamas.

[These cease-fires have the effect — and I would add the *intent* — on shielding Palestinians from the actual price of terrorism and war. Until they start paying a real price for those activities, terrorism and war will never stop, especially under the one-sided conditions imposed on Israel by its so-called allies. Hamas and the Gazans want a war of annihilation. When they actually experience one that they themselves started, perhaps they will change their minds. — Ed]