Some view the destruction of Hamas infrastructure and the release of abductees as two contradictory tasks, and ask which should be preferred. In my humble opinion, this is not a contradiction but two different points of view.
The original goal of the war was the destruction of Hamas and the creation of a completely different security situation in Gaza. The new security situation is a necessary condition for renewing settlement in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip, and it is essential for restoring a sense of general security and personal security throughout the area adjacent to Gaza. In fact, it is also essential for the sense of security of all citizens of the country.
Documentation: Paratroopers raid the homes of senior Hamas figures in Gaza's prestigious neighborhood // Photo: IDF Spokesperson
The elimination of Hamas is a condition for restoring a certain degree of deterrence (a difficult concept to understand, and even more so to measure). Israeli deterrence collapsed on 7 October, and only a clear victory – by knockout and not just points – will renew the building of deterrence. This victory must also be visible to everyone, so that every evil person of the State of Israel will immediately understand the price of dealing with Israel. A clear and complete victory should deter anyone who wants to cross red lines in a confrontation with Israel. The results of this war will sharpen the essence of those lines that were crossed, i.e., deliberate harm to civilians.
Therefore, the destruction of Hamas' military capability and the denial of its organizational ability to act are vital to Israel's future. In the post-October 7 Middle Eastern reality, all the sharks in the area, smelling weakness and Israel's blood, should see the mutilated corpse of the shark that attacked Israel and shed its blood. Otherwise, countless shark attacks on the nation-state of the Jewish people will begin.
Golani fighters with the Israeli flag in the Gaza Strip, photo: Oren Cohen
The joint fighting of Oketz Unit fighters and dogs in the Gaza Strip, photo: IDF Spokesperson
That horrific event on 7 October also had something to end in a way that would allow healing after one of Israel's greatest disasters: the abduction of many Israelis (and a few foreigners) by Hamas. Saving the abductees is a moral obligation with a clear and great priority. In the future, when historians summarize the period and the change brought about by the clear and visible victory over Hamas, they will probably summarize the return of the hostages in two lines describing the history of the event. This is because, historically, this event is of no great importance, and has no impact on the future.
Historical mission
On the other hand, today, when the barbarians from Hamas are kidnapped, for the state, and certainly for the families, this is a problem that must be solved as soon as possible – even at the expense of greater difficulties in the fighting itself. These difficulties may later emerge because of the time Hamas buys through the prisoner exchange mechanism. This time allows Hamas to halt the IDF's momentum on the ground, reorganize and bring humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip.
Returning Home: The Abductees from the Fourth Stage on their Way to Israel // Arab Networks
The terrorist organization will have food, water and materials for medical treatment. The price for the abductees is set by the political echelon in charge of the army by agreeing to the deal, and the army adjusts itself to pay military prices for the needs of civilians. This is the essence of the deal – the hostages will be released, and the army will fight a harder war.
At the end of the war, in which we will clean Gaza, and afterwards, we will take pride in the fact that we have not abandoned human aspects and a moral obligation to return the hostages. But this pride will have a place only if the war ends in total victory, and for this purpose the fighting must be resumed immediately (very immediately) at the end of the agreed ceasefire. Victory requires a significant expansion of the fighting. The historic task must be completed without blinking or fear, and it seems to me that there is endless support among the people of Israel.
The writer is a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS) and a former national security adviser
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