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Taking Rafah Is Essential to Defeat Hamas
(Wall Street Journal) Editorial - Ever notice how it is always deemed a humanitarian imperative to let Hamas survive? The diplomatic pressure on Israel to stay out of Rafah, Hamas' final stronghold, has become enormous. Warnings descend daily from the White House, Europe and the Middle East, plus the UN-NGO complex. Prime Minister Netanyahu and his military chief have already said that civilians will be evacuated from Rafah before Israel advances. Safe zones and a corridor out are being designated. There's no defeating Hamas and freeing the hostages without turning to Rafah. Hamas hasn't been toppled if it still governs territory. Hamas hasn't been destroyed if its four Rafah battalions remain intact. Hamas can't be destroyed while it has access to the Egyptian border and control of the flow of aid at Rafah. Israel rescued two hostages in Rafah, and it believes many others are held there. How could Israel abandon them? After Oct. 7, President Biden pledged his support for destroying Hamas. But lately his administration has increased its criticism of the war effort. He is rolling out initiative after initiative to pressure Israel: a sanctions regime against some Israelis with the potential to expand, a threat of automatic recognition of a Palestinian state, media leaks about investigations into Israel's war tactics, and new strings attached to weapons shipments. Once Rafah falls, Israel's fighting can shift to a lower-intensity, mopping-up phase, bringing the war to an end. Rafah is Hamas' last stand as a governing force, so expect it to pull every political lever to stop Israel. The question is why the Biden Administration is cooperating.