With Israel and Hamas agreeing on a hostage/prisoner exchange programme after a six-week war, it is time to understand the truth that have led to the most delicate truce to date.
First, aerial bombings cannot root out Hamas lock, stock and barrel. If they did, they would have driven the Gazans underground anyway.
An underground revolutionary movement can only become resilient, not less. The Gazans seem to feel more protected and privileged to be admitted into the 450km of underground tunnels.
Second, since the Gazans had to hide for six weeks, the searing experience of being bombed indefinitely in the subterranean structure, all huddled together as the victims, could only have made them more steely in their resolve to embrace the cause of fighters.
Third, if the homes and apartments of the victims were obliterated into dust, those who originally entered the tunnels as mere sympathisers of Hamas would have emerged from the foxholes with a stronger belief to be Hamas' supporters, pledging their fealty to Islamic Jihad too.
Fourth, as and when they emerge from the maze of underground tunnels unfazed, the collective respect for Hamas and Islamic Jihad would have increased.
Fifth, the latest report of the Wall Street Journal has affirmed that of the 30,000 Hamas fighters in Gaza who had been subject to severe bombings, only 1,000 of them died.
Considering they have been bombed non-stop for six weeks, one has to wonder if the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are aware of their limitations.
The failures do not create confidence in the war cabinet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — let alone his leadership.
Sixth, the aerial bombing has not made a dent in the underground tunnels of Gaza, let alone yield the necessary kills of the top commandos of Hamas.
Indeed, Netanyahu has decided to bomb the south of Khan Younis too, one of the centres of the gravity of Hamas. Yet, having seen its voter base slip away, the American President Joe Biden Administration is no longer as generous to Netanyahu as before.
Requests to bomb the south of Gaza has triggered a schism between the Biden Administration and Netanyahu. John Kirby, the spokesman of Pentagon at the US Department of Defence, has put his foot down.
Seventh, while IDF did not intend to make Hamas and Islamic Jihad more cohesive, it is reported that some of the first 50 hostages, namely women and children under the age of 19, would be coming from the two.
For the lack of a better word, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been able to work together despite the adversities.
Eight, what started as an IDF massive retaliation military campaign to eliminate Hamas, invariably for breaching the defence perimeters that led to the death of 1,200 Israeli people, its disproportionate and non-discriminatory killing of the Gazans has invited a groundswell of global support.
Ninth, the truce is happening at a point not because Hamas' ostensible weakness as their command structures have supposedly not been undermined. Why ?
At a depth of several hundred feet, the ventilation of the underground shafts are extremely important. Fuel is the most important ingredient to keep the generators running.
However, the Hamas fighters did not appear to want to rush to any conclusion in their negotiation. Hamas and Islamic Jihad are now more cohesive than ever due to the threats that they have had to collectively confront.
Both are now more united. And, many in the world including quite several states in the European Union (EU) and China are willing to serve as the honest broker to help Palestine gain the necessary legal recognition that they approve.
Indeed, Spain's stated desire is to recognise a Palestinian state. This would follow similar official recognition from Sweden, Iceland, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Slovakia, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Romania.
Tenth, the collective punishment and siege of Gaza had unwittingly helped the world to better understand the trials and tribulations of Palestine.
Finally, one can't notice the ease with which Hamas has negotiated with the intelligence officers of Qatar and Israel for the current truce.
The Hamas fighters and command structure, irrespective of which cells they are from, seemed to be showing steady nerves in defining the terms of the ceasefire.
If Netanyahu and his War Cabinet have no recourse to any options except force based on the military doctrine of "Dahiya" (total and disproportionate retaliation), then it is clear that such an overwhelming demonstration is not only useless but also a serious liability.
This is to the reputation of the US and Israel. Sheer use of hard power will deprive the likes of Israel and the US of having the necessary flooring on international relations to maintain their good names.
* The writer is Senior Adviser, Bluebridge Education Group, University of Cambridge