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Why Is It Taking So Long to Destroy Hamas?

(Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security) Col. (res.) Prof. Gabi Siboni - At the beginning of the war, some in the Israeli defense establishment and government sought to avoid a ground maneuver in Gaza. Similar advice was offered by American officials who frequented Israel. Their reasons for this hesitation were primarily due to doubts over the ability of ground forces to operate effectively in Gaza's complex environment. Another factor prolonging the conflict - one that is still in play - is the issue of humanitarian aid. From the start, Israel faced intense American pressure to transfer humanitarian aid and fuel to Gaza, despite knowing that much of it would reach Hamas and enhance its ability to survive. This undermined one of Israel's key leverage points to obtain the return of the hostages, and prolonged Hamas's military and civilian survivability. Hamas's control over humanitarian aid gives it breathing room and maintains its influence and power among the population. An additional factor contributing to the prolonged conflict is the hostage issue. The IDF has acted cautiously throughout the conflict and continues to do so to avoid harming the hostages. A delay of some four months was caused by American and international pressure to avoid operations in Rafah and the Philadelphi Corridor, primarily by concerns over harm to civilians and actions that could hinder potential hostage negotiations. It now seems clear that these concerns were in fact an excuse by the U.S. and elements in the international community to impose a ceasefire on Israel. Precious time was lost before the IDF began operations in this area under a format acceptable to Washington. The writer was director of the military and strategic affairs program of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) from 2006-2020.
2024-08-29 00:00:00
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