Gershon Baskin claims that Israeli officials knew Mr Al Jabari had received a draft agreement for a long-term ceasefire on Wednesday but had nonetheless decided to kill him.
Gershon Baskin claims that killing al-Jabari spiked chances for a return to the relative calm that prevailed along the border with Gaza until last week as well as angering Egypt mediators.
Gershon Baskin, who helped negotiate the release of Gilad Shalit — the Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas —told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that “this blood could have been spared. Those who made the decision must be judged by the voters, but to my regret they will get more votes because of this.”
Gershon Baskin thinks that the Israeli government has made a strategic mistake which will cost the lives of quite a number of innocent people on both sides.
Gershon Baskin says that by killing Hamas military chief and launching wide operation, Israel has squandered its chance for calm in Gaza and destroyed its security coordination with Egypt.
Gershon Baskin believes that Ahmed Jabari believed Israeli/Palestinian hostility benefitted neither side, and that Ahmed Jabari prevented Hamas attacks on Israel several times.
Gershon Baskin, who helped mediate between Israel and Hamas in the deal to release Gilad Shalit, says Israel made a mistake that will cost the lives of ‘innocent people on both sides.’
Gershon Baskin, who helped mediate between Israel and Hamas in the deal to release Gilad Shalit, claims that hours before Hamas strongman Ahmed Jabari was assassinated, he received the draft of a permanent truce agreement with Israel, which included mechanisms for maintaining the cease-fire in the case of a flare-up between Israel and the factions in the Gaza Strip.
Gershon Baskin called the assassination of Ahmed Jabari “total insanity”, claiming that Jabari was instrumental in enforcing cease-fire agreements and helped stop rocket attacks.
Gershon Baskin believes that I Israel made a grave and irresponsible strategic error by deciding to kill Mr Jabari.