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At the End of the Gaza War's First Half, Israel's Position Is Strong

(JNS) Alex Traiman - The brutal attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 was a declaration of war. After weeks of airstrikes on Gaza, Israel launched a ground incursion to target Hamas in the northern half of the territory. Israel currently controls a third of Gaza, and until Nov. 24 was beginning its move toward the south, where many of Hamas' senior leadership are now operating. The current pause provides a terror group on the run a desperately needed opportunity to regroup, rearm and redeploy, potentially placing IDF soldiers at greater risk when fighting resumes. The prisoners Israel released in exchange for the hostages are terrorists, many convicted of attempted murder. Like prisoners released to recover kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit - who was held in Gaza for five years - many are likely to commit new acts of terror following their release, threatening the lives of more Israelis. (Hamas terror mastermind Yahya Sinwar was one of those released.) Israel's military campaign will resume as soon as Hamas is no longer able to deliver hostages. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant insists that it was IDF pressure that forced Hamas to negotiate the return of hostages, and that further IDF pressure will lead to the release of additional hostages.
2023-11-29 00:00:00
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