Daily Alert Archives

Hamas Reaps the Fruits of Its Deadly Attack; Israel Seeks Gains in Other Arenas

(Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs) Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser - The ceasefire agreement leaves Israel with mixed emotions - joy at the anticipated return of hostages is tempered by frustration at the high cost. Hamas and its supporters have achieved many of their objectives, most notably securing the continuation of their rule in Gaza while ensuring the release of prisoners from Israeli jails. Hamas suffered military but not political damage, and the agreement provides no guarantees that Hamas will not rebuild its capabilities to resume attacks against Israel from Gaza. The outcome is likely to bolster its standing among the Palestinian public and enhance the influence of radical Islam more broadly. Unlike the Lebanon agreement, the agreement neither prohibits Hamas from rearming nor grants Israel the freedom to act against Gaza's terror groups' efforts to rebuild their forces unless they breach the ceasefire. Attention will shift to leveraging the regional changes Israel has influenced to advance other key objectives shared with the U.S. These include thwarting Iran's nuclear ambitions, expanding the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia, stabilizing the situation in Syria and Lebanon, and reducing threats to Israel and the West. The writer, former head of the Research Division of IDF Military Intelligence, is Director, National Security and Middle East Affairs at the Jerusalem Center.
2025-01-19 00:00:00
Full Article