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Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22915/trump-netanyahu-partnership
Middle East Gains Must Not Be Squandered
(Gatestone Institute) Bassam Tawil - Israel, increasingly encircled for decades by an Iranian "noose of fire" on seven fronts, inflicted severe damage on its enemies' military capabilities. The U.S. finally demonstrated its willingness to use military force against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and a U.S.-backed agreement brought home all the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas. Nevertheless, Hamas continues to resist disarmament, Iran remains a major threat, and Hizbullah's armed presence in Lebanon continues to undermine the authority of the Lebanese state. Trump's 20-point plan provided a framework for a different future for Gaza. It envisioned an end to Hamas's rule, the disarmament of armed factions, a transitional Palestinian administration, an International Stabilization Force (ISF), and reconstruction. Hamas has suffered substantial military loses, but it has not disappeared as a political and armed force. Can Gaza really have a new beginning while the organization that launched the Oct. 7 massacre retains the ability to launch more massacres? Civilian institutions cannot function effectively when an armed faction retains the power to threaten and overrule them. The task ahead is to turn the gains already made into a strategic reality in which Palestinians in Gaza can live under civilian government rather than an armed factional rule, in which Israel's security is strengthened, and in which Iran and its Middle Eastern allies can no longer threaten its own people or the region in any way.