A favourite author of mine whose pseudonym is Saki describes one of his characters as “a duck that goes flapping about with forced cheerfulness long after its head’s been cut off.” This quote reminds me of the knight in the “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” movie, who has lost both his arms and both his legs but is optimistic that he is really, really, doing fine and that he is actually the victor in the battle that had just taken place.

Now back to the unilateral ceasefire that Israel has announced. As long as Hamas stops firing rockets into Israel, the ceasefire will endure, but of course, as expected, there was a flurry of rockets into Israel and then Hamas agreed to sit in the naughty corner. After a few hours of sulking it announced that it too was declaring a unilateral ceasefire. So there!

So now we have two unilateral ceasefires. For the time being, that is, until the absentee leader of Hamas, Khaled Meschal, who is relaxing in Damascus, can persuade his gullible followers that they should continue the resistance.

And there’s more…not only are the people of Gaza victims but they are also victors. Easy for Meschal to say, when he is safely away from all the action. So much flapping about from the naughty chair. Hamas has given Israel one week to leave and that’s straight after Israel said it will start pulling out ASAP. Huh? Time to have a pensive suck of the old thumb, I suggest. Make up your mind. Are you winners or losers? Have a good look at what you have done to your people.