On day 213 of Israel’s war on Gaza, the nation’s talk show hosts focused in on the short-lived hope for a ceasefire that led to celebrations across the enclave, which abruptly ended as Israel began ratcheting up its strikes in preparation of a long-awaited ground assault.

Fleeting celebrations in Gaza: Gazan crowds took to the streets to celebrate the possibility of an end to the war, chanting and cheering after Hamas accepted an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal. “This is the first time we’ve seen happiness in the eyes of Gazans since 7 October . . . [following] the martyrdom of 34k women, children, parents, and elders,” Lamis El Hadidi said on her show Kelma Akhira (watch, runtime: 2:33). Al Hayah Al Youm's Lobna Assal also took to the airwaves to convey the optimism (watch, runtime: 2:57).

But Israel has other plans, says Al Habbash: “I fear Israel will continue its attack on Rafah. Its plan goes beyond the boundaries of repatriating Israeli hostages or false claims of eliminating Hamas,” Palestinian presidential advisor Mahmoud Al Habbash told El Hadidi on Kelma Akhira (watch, runtime: 2:42). “Its goal is to continue uprooting the Palestinian presence and destroying the Palestinian cause," he said, commenting on Israel’s statement that it plans to continue its military operation in Rafah that was issued by the Israeli Prime Minister's office just hours after Hamas announced that it had accepted the ceasefire proposal.

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