Hamas' list of prisoners to be released was delayed, which led to the ceasefire being postponed. It may seem strange to an outside observer that they didn't succeed on time, according to Anders Persson. But he believes it may also have been due to circumstances in war-torn Gaza.
The time breach didn't have to be met with such harshness. But Persson emphasizes that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is keen to set the tone from the start.
It plays into his hands if he can show that he is tough on the other side. That it is clear that Hamas is breaking the conditions also plays into his hands.
Difficult negotiations await
The ceasefire will continue to be marked by crises, according to Persson. The major stumbling block is that the agreement contains several key points where the parties still don't agree.
They don't agree on who should govern Gaza, or Hamas' role. There are a bunch of big elephants in the room that need to be negotiated later.
That Israel immediately after the announcement of the delay carried out new attacks on Gaza was to put pressure on Hamas, believes Anders Persson. According to reports, around 20 people were killed during the morning's attacks. Netanyahu wants to show action to the ministers in his government who opposed an agreement.
Ways to lie
The Prime Minister also has the strategy of saying one thing in English to the US and to the mediators, and another thing in Hebrew, points out Anders Persson.
It's a cheap way to lie to everyone, but also a sophisticated way to govern a complex country. You can't play with open cards, or you'll lose many around you. He says that Israel will do things that aren't in the ceasefire, that "we won't withdraw from Rafah", but in the ceasefire it says that they should withdraw from there.
