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Netanyahu vs Gantz: Gaza escalation as reflection of Israel’s political rivalry
Israel's Prime Minister and the Defence Minister — the leader of his government’s main coalition partner — are locked in a battle for political survival: war on Gaza is a tried and tested method of gaining public support ahead of an electoral showdown, writes RAMZY BAROUD

ONLY recently, the Palestinian group, Hamas, and Israel seemed close to reaching a prisoner exchange agreement, where Hamas would release several Israeli soldiers held in Gaza while Israel would set free an unspecified number of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons.
Instead of the much-anticipated announcement of some kind of a deal, on August 10 Israeli bombs began falling on the besieged strip and incendiary balloons, originating in Gaza, made their way to the Israeli side of the fence.
So, what happened?
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