"War of annihilation" - this is what James Mattis, who served as US Secretary of Defense in the Trump administration, called the fighting against ISIS in Mosul, Iraq. In 2017-2016, fighting in this area was the worst in built-up areas since World War II. The destruction caused to Mosul was similar in intensity to that inflicted on Dresden by the Allies in February 1945.
The scale of the disaster at Kibbutz Be'eri // Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
At the end of the fighting in Mosul, the UN estimated that more than 80 percent of Iraq's second-largest city was unfit for human habitation. A similar experience occurred in the city of Raqqa in Syria, another ISIS stronghold attacked by the US army. She, too, ended the fighting with the seal "unfit for human habitation." This is the practical significance of the just determination: Hamas is ISIS.
It's time to say goodbye to the fairy tale
On 7 October, the Holocaust Survivors' State was attacked by the new Nazis. Their satanic plan and cruelty were exposed to the entire world. In this war that was forced upon it, Israel has no choice. It must act as the Allies did in their war against the Nazis.
It's time to say goodbye to the legend that "the population of Gaza is a victim of Hamas, which forced itself on it." True, not the entire population supports Hamas. There are quite a few who oppose his path, but the extent of his support omits the basis for the claim that "Hamas does not represent the Palestinians."
In the 2006 elections, Hamas won the largest number of votes. His approval rating was enormous (43%) and translated into more than half of the seats in the Legislative Council. Fear of similar results has led to the postponement of the elections ever since.
Sinwar, Haniyeh and other senior Hamas figures. Dead, Photo: AFP
Opinion polls over the past few years have indicated his popularity among the public in general, and among Gaza residents in particular. Hamas deeply represents the Palestinian ethos, which rejects the existence of a sovereign Jewish state in the area between the river and the sea. Although its military force numbers "only" tens of thousands, it enjoys broad support from the population, similar to the "people's army."
This is said in order to balance the expectations of Israel both on the humanitarian issue and on the intensity of the fighting. This is especially so in light of Hamas' cynical exploitation of sensitivities and limitations in these areas.
Moreover, toppling the Hamas regime and destroying its military capability, defined as one of the goals of the war in Gaza, requires not only the collapse of Hamas' command and control apparatuses, but also a fatal blow to its order of battle, its leaders, commanders and field systems. These are well entrenched deep in the area, hiding behind the population's backs or in institutions perceived as immune from Israeli attack.
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, after an IDF attack, photo: AP.
After the horrors we have seen, nothing should come as a surprise as to their villainy. Presumably they have trapped everything that could be trapped. In this reality, the challenges of combat are many and complex.
Against this background, it is expected that state authorities, institutions, and citizens will support the military echelon in reducing the weight of onerous constraints. It is important to clarify that there is no dilemma in the choice between adhering to the provisions of international law and reducing the risks to our forces.
When Gaza's needs will not be Israel's business
The circumstances under which Israel entered the war in Gaza exempt it from dealing with the troubling question of what will happen in Gaza the day after the war. The reason for this is simple: Israel has no other choice. It must respond with enormous force, whatever its consequences.
Tent camp near Khan Yunis, Photo: Reuters
Any other reaction could leave her under existential threat. Any other condition is less serious than it. The question of what will happen after the war should interest us less than the question of what will not happen: there will be no Hamas rule, there will be no military and terrorist capabilities that will threaten the State of Israel, Gaza's humanitarian needs will not be the State of Israel's business.
The efforts devoted by Hamas monsters to photographing, documenting and disseminating their atrocities may indicate one of the goals of the attack on Israel: breaking the spirit.
Indeed, they sought to murder Jews for the sake of murder, to kidnap in order to use the abductees as human shields and bargaining chips, to carry out a complex attack in order to project power and leave a historical mark, to humiliate, to document, to disseminate – in order to shock and fear Israeli society, to sow terror and morale in the hearts of Israeli citizens.
Watching or distributing Hamas videos may serve their purpose. The cohesive stance of Israeli society in the face of this monstrous threat and the strengthening of the spirit of the people will impede their efforts and enable us to eradicate the forces of evil.
The writer is the head of the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy
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