Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi is known to be more gung-ho about engaging Hamas than his predecessor, Gadi Eizenkot, was. In addition, Israel’s new defense minister, Naftali Bennett, is aggressive and outspoken on the issue. Yet, ironically, Israel has embarked on an unprecedented honeymoon with Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip for almost 13 years, since 2007. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has made a career out of issuing hollow threats against the organization and Gaza, now appears to be in love with Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, while Bennett strolls into the sunset arm-in-arm with Hamas' Gaza chief, Yahya Sinwar.

The relief measures Israel has granted Hamas in recent weeks are unprecedented and the most comprehensive since Hamas kicked the Palestinian Authority out of Gaza and took control of the enclave. Even though on Feb. 11 the prime minister promised Hamas the “surprise of its life,” and on Feb. 18 the defense minister warned of a “painful spring” ahead for the group, Israel has been relaxing a growing number of significant restrictions it had placed on the organization, signifying what has been clear for months: Sinwar is once again the victor. He has proved that Israel only understands force and that the Netanyahu government does not have a real solution concerning Gaza as long as its strategic interest lies in preserving Hamas' rule and avoiding Palestinian unification at all cost.

Of course, this could all change in an instant if an artillery shell or rocket lands in the wrong place at the wrong time. For the moment, however, the honeymoon remains on track, and the odd couple is getting to know each other and becoming really tight. Despite the harsh opposition of Shin Bet, but with the consistent backing of the military, Israel is dramatically increasing the number of Palestinians from Gaza being allowed to work in the country. This is a purely strategic move. Until recently, Israel had objected to the entry of laborers, instead only supplying VIP entry permits to traders and other well-connected Gaza residents. Publicly, Israel continues to insist that only Palestinian “merchants” are being allowed in, but this is a fraudulent claim. Gaza does not have thousands of traders.

“Bit by bit, without anyone noticing, we are allowing thousands of Gazans to work in Israel,” a senior Israeli security source told Al-Monitor, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “We have to understand that there are hundreds of thousands of families in Gaza that have no way of making a living, and when we let 7,000 laborers work in Israel every day, we are putting food in the mouths of some 70,000 hungry people.”