The announcements coming out of the White House, according to which the United States does not support a ceasefire in Gaza at this stage, did not change the harsh impression left by Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Israel. The same is true of the attempt to put normalization talks with Saudi Arabia back on the agenda.
The Biden administration fully understands the importance of achieving a clear victory over Hamas in Gaza. He would like Israel to get to that quickly. But his demands put a heavy weight on her feet and prolong the way to that.
Biden. Laying a heavy weight, photo: AP
The pressure from Washington to reduce the intensity of the fighting, to significantly increase the scope of humanitarian aid (knowing that most of it reaches Hamas), and to initiate a process in cooperation with the UN (!) that will enable the return of the residents of the northern Gaza Strip to their homes, intensify the operational challenges for our forces. They also provide a morale boost for Hamas and establish in its leaders the hope that they can drag Israel into a war of attrition that will end in an "arrangement."
Moreover, the government's demands also undermine efforts to free the hostages. They reduce the pressure on Hamas and allow it to harden its positions.
It is impossible to sweep the Hamas tunnels under the carpet of "regional integration." Not even the large quantity of weapons or the large military order of battle that remained on the ground. The damage Israel has inflicted on Hamas so far is painful but not critical. After the events of October 7, this is not enough.
98th Division operating above and below ground in Khan Yunis // Photo: IDF Spokesperson
Even if it takes a long time to achieve the goals, this should not be compromised. Even those who find it difficult to define Gaza as a "Hamas state" understand that as long as there is a strong, organized and armed core of the terrorist organization, it will be the main force and according to which it will be launched.
Jerusalem will have to continue maneuvering between the desire to maintain the Biden administration's support and assistance (for which it deserves to be cherished) and responding to its restrictive demands.
It would be wrong to allow the residents of the northern Gaza Strip to return to their homes before the tunnel network beneath them was destroyed. If this happens, this area will return and serve as a base of terror against us. It is also a lever to pressure Hamas on the issue of the abductees.
Masses of Gazans evacuate through the humanitarian corridor, Photo: Arab Networks
As for the humanitarian aid saga, it is not too late to establish within the Gaza Strip a "de-escalation" zone where, and only there, such aid can be received and delivered. The idea of opening the Erez crossing should be shelved, which would only strengthen Israel's responsibility and increase the pressure on it.
The work would not be complete without dealing with the Rafah area. If the free flow of weapons from Sinai to the Gaza Strip continues, there will be no security demilitarization and there will be no value to the efforts to locate the weapons inside the Gaza Strip. All other arrangements failed miserably. They should not be trusted.
Israel must end this war with a clear victory. It is important to deepen the understanding in Washington that this is a condition for any initiative that seeks to change the regional reality. This is in the interest not only of Israel and most of its neighbors, but also of the United States in its struggle for the new world order.
Shells, weapons and a large quantity of weapons were found by an IDF force in Gaza, photo: IDF Spokesperson
Hamas will not be satisfied with stopping the fighting
Against the backdrop of reports of new proposals for an exchange deal, it is worth listening to public positions, such as those attributed to senior Hamas figure Osama Hamdan, who rejects the option of expelling senior Hamas figures from the Gaza Strip and makes it a condition for any deal to end the war.
It is hard to imagine that Hamas, in its current state, will be satisfied with "stopping the war and everyone for everyone." It is more likely that he will try to extort commitments not only to withdraw the IDF from the entire Gaza Strip and avoid assassinations, but also to rebuild the Strip. In this way, it will be able to reach its conclusion with a successful surprise attack, survival against Israel, the release of prisoners and a mechanism to repair the destruction.
IDF forces in the Gaza Strip, photo: IDF Spokesperson
Continue the targeted killings
Israel will probably not agree to a proposal that would leave Hamas as the main force, without security demilitarization and with restrictions on IDF activity. In order to change the situation, it is essential to increase the pressure on Hamas and Qatar on all levels, and push them into a reality similar to the one that led to the previous deal.
Hezbollah's response to the assassination of senior Hamas figure Saleh al-Arouri in Dahiya, Beirut, is the best evidence of the effectiveness of the targeted killings. It shows how stressed the organization is following the use of this tool.
Harming commanders is an essential component of the struggle. It is intended to disrupt command and control, interfere with the enemy's conduct and the realization of its plans, remove effective and experienced players from the field, deter those who act against us and signal their hosts, and break the enemy's spirit.
Nasrallah. Frightened by the targeted elimination,
The assassination of al-Arouri dealt a morale blow to Hamas, severely damaged its capabilities and provided proof of the seriousness of Israel's threats to persecute terrorist leaders wherever they may be. The assassination in the heart of Beirut made it clear that there are no more "immune" areas. The actions that followed showed that this was not a one-time success.
These capabilities, which made it possible to reach precise targets, should now keep Nasrallah and Haniyeh asleep. They will strengthen the impact of the images of destruction that reach the entire world from inside the Gaza Strip.
Sinwar. He still thinks he can win, Photo: AP
Dynamics of escalation
In the exchange of blows between the IDF and Hezbollah, there is a dynamic of escalation. Even if both sides don't want to, it could lead to war. This is not to say that we should restrain or moderate our reactions, but that we should be prepared for the possibility of a flare-up.
Here, too, it is a war of no choice. Hezbollah entered the war, not him. He saw this as an opportunity to strike at us alongside Hamas, assuming that Israeli society was fragmented and weak. The two organizations now see a nation that has risen as a dog, a cohesive and solidarity society that stands against those who seek its life, an army that has come to its senses quickly and operates a formidable war machine, and a home front that conveys resilience and is determined to continue until victory.
Faith, heroism and unity
Out of the horrors of the horrors and failure of October 7 is revealed the core of our DNA, in which faith, heroism and unity are woven together. The stream of stories and testimonies about this does not stop. This is now also seen by our enemies.
The writer serves as head of the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy
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