It was Oct. 7. They woke up Benjamin Netanyahu, who found a cup of poison waiting for him. He could not believe it at first glance. They came by land, air and sea.

The date is March 9, 1973. Two generals rejoice over the news of a death that they deemed to be the “grand prize.” The generals are Ariel Sharon and Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan. 

More important than the Al-Aqsa Flood operation is the situation that will prevail after the war on Gaza ends. What will the situation be like regarding the present and future of Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and the region?

A ceasefire is not enough to put out the flames. The oppression that causes the blaze needs to be confronted. Avoiding confronting the heart of the problem turns a ceasefire into a truce and paves the way for a broader conflagration.

Horrors are not new to the sick Middle East. Its blood has been shed in many wars and across many maps. The wars often end in a settlement that goes against the ambitions of those who fired the first bullet.

It is too soon to wonder what the Israeli political, military and security institutions will conclude from the current developments. It is also too soon to wonder what Hamas will conclude.