(Ynet News) Avi Issacharoff - Driving toward Khan Yunis, one sees destruction of huge, almost biblical proportions. No home in the area is habitable and not a single person remains. This is a disaster that the Gazans and Hamas have brought upon themselves. It's uncertain whether they even comprehend the enormity and extent of the devastation, which will take many long years to repair. On "the day after" the war ends, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians will wish to return to their homes, only to find nothing but ruins. Hamas has retreated, is in hiding, and avoids direct confrontation with IDF soldiers, choosing instead to seek refuge in tunnels. They have abandoned Khan Yunis. Even if Hamas survives, it will not be able to offer any logical justification for the reckless gamble of Oct. 7, a cost that every Gazan resident is now bearing. "The IDF is functioning like an immense shredder," an officer described, "progressing incrementally every day....The battalion commander of Khan Yunis has absconded....Yet, the conflict is far from concluded. In our sector alone, approximately 200 members are still concealed within the tunnels. They navigate in civilian attire, unarmed, stashing their weapons in various hideouts, emerging to launch attacks before vanishing once more. In recent weeks, we haven't come across any group larger than four individuals." The writer, a veteran Israeli journalist focusing on Palestinian affairs, is one of the creators of the TV series "Fauda."
2024-02-11 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive