According to experts, Israel is still far from a victory over the Islamist Hamas, even after more than seven months of war in the Gaza Strip. The fear of an ‘eternal war’ was already circulating.
“Hamas is everywhere in the Gaza Strip,” Joost Hiltermann, head of the Middle East and North Africa program at the International Crisis Group think tank, told the Wall Street Journal. “Hamas is far from defeated.”
The terrorist organization had turned to guerrilla tactics, fueling fears in Israel that it would end in an “eternal war,” the newspaper reported Thursday evening.
Hamas will continue to exist
Regardless of whether Israel fully attacks the southern Gaza city of Rafah or not, Hamas will survive and continue to exist in other parts of the coastal strip, current and former Israeli military officials wrote, the Wall Street Journal wrote.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday called for a political alternative to Hamas’ rule in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the other hand, had previously stated that it is pointless to talk about the future governance of the coastal strip before a victory over Hamas.
Hamas can still act
The Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip is already producing results, but Hamas has already been severely decimated militarily, Gallant said. “But as long as Hamas maintains control over civilian life in Gaza, it can rebuild and strengthen itself, forcing the Israeli army to come back and fight in areas where it has already been deployed.”
As the Israeli army moved tanks and troops to Rafah, which it calls Hamas’ last bastion, Hamas again attacked Israeli forces in the northern Gaza Strip. On Wednesday, the Israeli army called on other Palestinians there to seek safety before a major operation.
Bleak prospects for the Gaza Strip
Galant on Wednesday criticized Israel’s indecisiveness over who should govern Gaza after the war. Palestinian representatives must take control, accompanied by international actors who create a government alternative to Hamas rule in Gaza, Gallant demanded. Otherwise, only two negative options remained: continued Hamas rule or Israeli military rule.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
