Gershon Baskin, an Israeli who has acted as an unofficial conduit between Israel and Palestinian leaders, personally delivered three Abbas offers for direct talks to Netanyahu’s office over the past three years.
Gershon Baskin thinks that even if an Israel-Hamas accord does strengthen Israel’s regional position, it could harm Israel’s relationship with the Palestinian Authority, signaling to moderate Palestinians that violence pays, as it destroys the Palestinian Authority, it destroys Palestinian moderates and it gives the Palestinians the message that you only get concessions from Israel through violence or force.
Gershon Baskin feels that Hamas hopes that their rockets will convince Israel to release the hundreds of Hamas operatives it arrested in its West Bank operation to rescue the three kidnapped Israeli teens.