Gaza, And Israel's Mission Impossible
It was always a mind numbing impossible situation, and Israel’s hardline positions on Gaza won’t change the realities of the war that has to be fought and won while it’s not clear what a victory looks like.
After Hamas stormed into Israel Oct 7, terrorizing, looting, raping, and killing 1200 Israeli’s they retreated within hours taking with them 240 hostages, carrying them off while posting online videos sharing horrible scenes of sexual assaults on women, and parading human captives like trophies as they marched back through the streets of Gaza.
If you have a heart, you couldn’t help but be distraught seeing the aftermath of Hamas’ bloodthirsty attacks on settlements and a music festival, and be deeply moved by the pleas of families whose loved ones were spirited away to the dark tunnels of Hamas’ under ground fortress to be abused, starved, and some were murdered.
There was a short pause in Israels invasion of Gaza and a prisoner release but as of today, Hamas continues to hold 108 hostages alive, and at least 28 bodies.
There are reports from Paris where the U.S., Qatar, Egypt and others met on the weekend of a frame work deal for Hamas to release more hostages in exchange for a 6 week ceasefire and the release of 3 times as many Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Israeli P.M. Netanyahu has poured some cold water on the negotiations saying he won’t sign up to any deal that sees the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, nor will he pull Israeli forces out of Gaza.
The Israeli Government is so far steadfast in it’s goal to remove Hamas from power in Gaza, while Hamas continues to fight and so far it’s leadership has eluded IDF ground forces swarming Gaza.
Here’s a dose of reality - This week Hamas has fired on Israeli forces in northern Gaza weeks after Israel said it had cleared that area and it’s under ground tunnel network.
And reports indicate Israel has only managed to destroy 20 to 40% of the tunnels under Gaza, out of concern they will kill the hostages if they simply blow them up.
That could mean it might take the rest of the year or longer, to destroy 300 miles of Hamas built tunnels, and Israeli forces are taking severe losses.
In today’s war, 557 soldiers have died, including those who were killed during the October 7 attacks. And 2,784 soldiers have been wounded since October 7, according to official IDF data. A quarter of these have been severely injured, by blasts set off in close quarter fighting.
Palestinians killed by the intense fighting number at least 26 thousand says the Hamas controlled Ministry of Health. At least half the homes in Gaza are said to have been destroyed by Israel’s war and the numbers being displaced and now in dire need of food and water is growing by the day.
The threat of war in Northern Israel from Iran’s sponsored Hezbollah remains constant, as does attacks on American bases from Iranian proxies in Syria and Iraq.
The U.S. will respond to an attack earlier in the week which killed three American servicemen in Jordan.
Much turns on Israel’s war in Gaza, not the least of which is the fate of the hostages for which time is growing short.
Israel’s mission impossible could end with a ceasefire, but if Hamas is still in place that’s no victory even if hostages come home. Clearly Netanyahu’s Government would have to go before any deal would be signed on the Israeli side.
The U.S. and other nations want a comprehensive peace plan to give Palestinians a homeland in exchange for lasting peace, but that carrot has been swinging in the wind for decades and proven undeliverable as Israeli and Palestinians have highjacked peace at every turn.
And let’s not for a moment misread Israeli public opinion; Israeli’s feel more vulnerable than ever after Hamas attack and want security over and above everything.
Most people in Israel won’t support withdrawing from Gaza until they know Hamas is disarmed and no longer a threat, and that seems a distant and perhaps entirely unachievable goal.