As Israel enters its sixth week of the war in Gaza, Israel faces six immediate challenges that it must synchronize in order to maximize its achievements in the campaign.
The first challenge is operational, in the field. This week, the IDF will complete its takeover of all parts of Gaza City as part of its consolidation of its hold on the northern Gaza Strip. He will have to decide how to treat a few hot potatoes, chief among them at Shifaa Hospital.
The dilemma is clear: on the one hand, activity at a critical facility for Hamas will harm its capabilities and make it clear that it is not immune anywhere. On the other hand, it will equip Israel's critics with the claim that it has no red lines.
Smoke billows near Shifa Hospital in Gaza, Photo: Reuters
The fighting itself is expected to be even more complicated because Hamas is trying to defend its most critical systems. This was evidenced by the explosion of the booby-trapped tunnel in which the four fighters were killed on Friday, an operational event whose lessons are critical for the future. These difficulties will be compounded by the weather – rain from the middle of the week – which will make it difficult to operate from the air and on the ground.
The second challenge is preventing conflagration in other arenas. Hezbollah does not start a war, but the challenge from its direction is constantly growing. Together with the incessant launches from Yemen and the growing pressure from Iraq, the IDF must maintain deterrence and prevent escalation on several fronts, so that it can continue to focus on Gaza.
Ein Liush
In the background, unrest in Judea and Samaria is also increasing, both in solidarity with Gaza and in light of the precarious economic situation (some 150,<> Palestinians who do not go to work in Israel). Israel must keep its eyes open to ensure that Judea and Samaria does not erupt, and as part of that, to curb violent activity by elements on the extreme right.
The third challenge is the abductees. In the background, talks are constantly underway for a large deal – 100-80 abductees in exchange for a break of a few days in the fighting – but the chances of achieving it, as of last night, are only mediocre.
The protest rally for the abductees in Tel Aviv. In the background, negotiations for a big deal, photo: Gideon Markowitz
Still, the political-security leadership has to go to bed every night and wake up every morning with pictures of the 239 abductees before their eyes. It can be assumed that every operational or diplomatic effort will be made to advance the issue, but sometime soon it will also be necessary to present results.
The fourth challenge is political, with the aim of creating legitimacy for continued activity. Most governments in the West and the region continue to support Israel, but they are also asking more questions and facing increasing criticism in their own public opinion.
This requires Israel to invest in diplomacy, and to invest in parallel in the fighting in Gaza – avoiding harm to innocent people as much as possible, and possibly also with certain humanitarian concessions that will in return give it international air for action.
Don't give up on advocacy
The fifth challenge is advocacy. Israel is bleeding in this area that has always been neglected, and even more so in the past year. It won't be able to win it, but it needs to significantly improve its coping, including by immediately recruiting minds and companies that specialize in the field.
Pro-Palestinian demonstration in London, photo: AP
It doesn't happen because of ego and politics, but even in this case, the state is more important. It is a central arena whose influence is critical on leaders' decisions, hostility to Israel, Israelis and Israeli companies, and anti-Semitism against Jews around the world.
Stabilizing the economy is also important for the campaign
The sixth challenge is in the domestic arena, in everything related to stabilizing the economy, opening barriers, and especially assisting the evacuees, especially the refugees from the envelope. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich often exhorts the media about the wonders of his actions, but the results are meager.
For example, the leaders of Be'eri, the kibbutz that suffered the hardest blow on October 7, said yesterday that they needed 10 million shekels to reoperate the kibbutz at its current location on the Dead Sea. And how much have they received so far from the treasury? Two million shekels. They paid the rest from the kibbutz treasury. For those wondering, Smotrich has not visited them so far.
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