Israel’s number one war aim is the destruction of Hamas. That was made clear in a statement on October 11, just four days after Hamas carried out the terror attack that killed 1,200 Israeli civilians killed.
“We will wipe this thing called Hamas, ISIS-Gaza, off the face of the earth. It will cease to exist,” said Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
In the last five weeks, 40,000 IDF soldiers have surrounded Gaza City. They are now in the process of clearing the complex series of tunnels where Hamas lives and operates.
Israel is making slow but steady progress in gaining control of Gaza. But as far as “destroying” Hamas, that’s a long way off and may not even be realistically achievable. Once the IDF clears the tunnels in the north, they must pivot to the south, evacuate as many civilians as possible, and prepare the ground for another major incursion to destroy the tunnel system and the infrastructure used by Hamas.
It’s a daunting task, and Israel’s American allies aren’t convinced it can be done.
The operation to clear Al Shifa Hospital is an example of the problems with trying to “destroy” Hamas. While there has been some evidence that Hamas did indeed use the hospital for military…
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