Egyptian expert: Ceasefire initiative aims to dismantle the Palestinian resistance

Cairo-based political science Professor Abdallah Al-Ashaal warned that that the objective behind the Egyptian initiative for a ceasefire, which was welcomed by Arab foreign ministers, is to put an end to the Palestinian resistance and uproot it completely so that the resistance fighters would turn in their weapons and exit the Gaza Strip.

In an interview with Al-Quds Press, Al-Ashaal said that the Egyptian initiative was proposed to fragment the Arab resistance instead of it being uprooted by Israel.

“Israel is currently preparing for a ground war against the Gaza Strip in a bid to uproot the resistance. Arab foreign ministers want to prevent this ground war by agreeing with Israel on ending and fragmenting the resistance so that the resistance would turn in their weapons, leave the Gaza Strip and spread in various places. So we are in front of two options: Either Israel would bring down the resistance on its own or it would have Arabs dismantle the resistance on its behalf,” he said.

“There is an Arab-Israeli-American complicity against the resistance. They are betting on the end of Hizbullah’s resistance with the Iranian-American deal. Afterwards, the US will eliminate the ‘Occupied Territories’ term from UN dictionaries and will replace it with the term ‘restored territories’,” Al-Ashaal said.

“Arab normalisation of relations with Israel will be expanded,” he added, pointing out that Egypt is the hub of normalisation, and that the initiative in its essence reflects common interests shared by Israel and Arab regimes.

Al-Ashaal said he believes that Egypt has become an irrelevant actor that is primarily concerned with coordination with Israel because its priority is to secure Sinai and protect it from radical groups. These groups were made by Israel, he explained.

He pointed out that the Egyptian army is no longer a combat army after it spread across Sinai and elsewhere in Egypt. The current Egyptian-Israeli goal is to get rid of Hamas because it represents the resistance for Israel and it represents the Muslim Brotherhood for the Egyptian regime, he said.

He warned against the repercussions that may result from the Arab-Israeli-American project that aims to uproot and dismantle the resistance. “The initiative addresses settlement activity whereas the current discussion is about the Israeli military attack,” he said.

Al-Ashaal noted that the Egyptian initiative ultimately aims to allow for Israel’s expansion in the region thanks to collaboration between Israel and Arab armies, which are now concerned with protecting regimes instead of protection nations.

In the same context, he said, the US-Iranian agreement will have its repercussions on Hizbullah: Iran will dismantle it and turn it into a political party rather than a resistance movement.