Straightening up Israel’s current mindset; going back to the mindset of Gush Katif, the 17 Israeli communities that thrived in the southern Gaza Strip until 2005. A victory mindset.
While in its war with Hamas Israel has achieved many significant accomplishments, though painful ones, and while these accomplishments could be seen as historic by comparison to the many operations Israel conducted in Gaza since 2007, something is seriously amiss in this war.
As they say, Israel got itself into a pickle situation in Gaza.
Right now, when the world is playing the “got you” game with Israel, much of the media’s orbit is drenched with cynicism, grouchiness and certainly expressing pessimism, it is time for Israel to go full in with the final blow to Hamas.
The Path to Victory Has Been Paved
Iran’s nuclear programs have been [for now] halted. A few well impacting U.S. sanction measures will weaken the terror sponsoring state further.
Hezbollah has lost its functioning ability and its hub, as resentment toward its existence in Lebanon grows.
Bashar al-Assad, the former President of Syria, often labeled “the Butcher” ran out of his burning county overnight. Israel took care of the Syrian army so it has ceased to exist as an effective military force. Furthermore, Israel has created a security parameter along its border with Syria which it plans to hold onto permanently.
Iran’s Shiite Hezbollah and the Sunni Hamas axis, the regional threat pillar against Israel, is now in disarray and a total collapsing course.
These accomplishments were achieved through much courage, resolve and coordination between the Israeli war cabinet and the brave officers and soldiers of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces).
This combined effort must now arrive at a crescendo.
What remains for Israel to do is to complete its war mission in Gaza. The last link of this war on several fronts must be the ending of Gaza as we have known.
We can start seeking a new name for this infamous territory. It will be rebuilt after collapsing its streets’ level to the level of the deepest terror tunnel Hamas built.
After all Gaza’s obvious street level is only the roof of the labyrinth terror tunnels it seals.
How Does Israel Wrap-Up Its War With Hamas?
The war with Hamas has been taking so long, with so many setbacks, for one reason only – the Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas. Each one used by Hamas as an ace card, a bargaining chip, a mirror to what Hamas is all about, satanic control.
The Israeli hostages are the obstacle to wrapping up the war with Hamas. Hamas knows it and acts accordingly. This obstacle is worsened by western states acting against Israel.
The Clash of Humane Nature With Inhumane Nature
Israel is the state of the Jewish people who are by nature humane. A humane nation often tends to pay a heavy price for being humane. In this case the heavy toll is caused by the need to bring back home its citizens who were kidnapped on October 7, 2023, and are still kept captive by an organization that has proved beyond all doubts its gruesome nature; it lives another day so it can behead and rape people, perpetrate war crimes and cross all civilized red lines.
Human Thinking Could Be Myopic
Israel is caught in a dangerous trap, it is its myopia. This short-sightedness tends to focus on the instantaneous and the concrete while repressing the long-term calculations with sequel consequences.
Here Is One for the Thoughts
On June 25 2006, Gilad Shalit was captured by Gaza militants in a cross-border raid via tunnels near the Israeli border. Hamas held him captive for over five years until his release, on October 18, 2011, as part of a 1,027 Hamas prisoner exchange deal for one captured Israeli soldier.
Shalit was Hamas’ ace card for five years.
Israel saved one individual at the cost of a strategic calamity for the people of Israel.
The question is, did Israel learn anything from the Shalit mistake?
What Must Israel Do Now?
Due to Israel’s current full alignment with the United States it has positioned itself strongly internationally. Israel has paved a way to a position of strength with a clear and unambiguous equation.
Now that Israel has captured about 70% of the Gaza Strip, it should present Hamas with an unmistakable ultimatum which it is about to issue along with the U.S.:
– Demilitarization of the Gaza Strip;
– Release all the Israeli hostages – alive or dead;
– establish a temporary administration in Gaza under American leadership;
If Hamas keeps on being belligerent and does not meet these conditions, Israel will launch a military operation to eliminate Hamas.
At this point of the game we should all expect the least of talk and only powerful action. After all Israel has already “opened the gates of hell” some twenty times and erased much of the Hamas leadership and operatives. More needs to be done.
If by the ultimatum’s assigned date all the hostages have not been released and Hamas did not surrender completely, in a move that will be publicly backed by Washington, Israel will annex the border’s perimeter area it created — about 17% of Gaza’s territory.
Loss Of Land Is the Only Language Islamists Understand
It is central to comprehend that Hamas and Arab-Islamist type society understands only the annexation of land which they see as theirs.
Every land concession Israel has previously made was perceived by these people as an achievement and a way forward to become more aggressive. History attests that every loss of their land has delivered a blow to them. It could take on the term “second Nakba” – Nakba, the Arabic world for catastrophe, refers to the displacement of the Arabs that occurred in 1948 during the Arab-Israeli war – the “second catastrophe.”
Hamas Has No Wiggle Room
From the ultimatum point onward, any refusal to the set terms on Hamas part will cause another round of land annexation. Square meter-by-square meter of land will be annexed, if and until Hamas deploys sense, releases all the hostages and surrenders unconditionally.
If Hamas chooses the obstinacy route — ultimately they will be left with a miniscule and insignificant piece of land, living in a life choking enclave surrounded by Israel’s control.
Bringing Life to Missile Launch Pad Enclave
And what will Israel do with this newly gained annexed land that was once called Gaza?
In the first move, with annexing the perimeter Israeli farmers should sow grain fields. In the next annexation of Gaza land, Israeli settlers will establish new settlements. The terms “settlers” and “Jewish settlements” alone will become the “second catastrophe” activators for Hamas and their minions.
Hamas will witness how Israel makes the missile launch pad area bloom; just a reminder how life was in Gush Katif before the 2005 disengagement and the immediate transformation of Israeli greenhouse into rockets, missiles and destruction.
The cultivation of Gaza annexed land will continue till the entire Gaza Strip has turned into Israel’s green land. A lesson for anyone who messes with the State of Israel.
Israel is not seeking collective punishment for the Gazans. Unlike the way Hamas treated and is treating the Israeli hostages it abducted, food and medicine will be supplied to the population. However, no infrastructure will be built; no port, no economy, and no normalizing life. Those who chose to massacre, kidnap and be at war with Israel must bear the consequences. This translates to shattering any and all future hopes for Gaza under Hamas, Fatah, jihadists and their like; Hamas and their Gaza subjects have brought upon themselves their own demise.
The Clearest Ultimatum
The Israeli-U.S. ultimatum for Hamas that speaks loud and clear must be backed by lethal force. There is no wiggle room for any concession and flexibility that was previously met with more violence.
It is time now for Israel to change the path it has walked and got lost on.
Hamas must play only with the cards dealt by Israel: release the hostages and surrender. If not, the Gaza territory will keep on shrinking until there is not one grain of sand left to shrink. Gaza will melt into Southern Israel until it disappears.
Israel must adopt the behavior of a powerful nation with a humane edge.
A message to the world: do not mess with the powerhouse Israel.
A war with the goal to exterminate the terrorist enemy – Hamas – should have been and should be conducted completely differently. Georgy Zhukov, who was a Soviet military leader and served as a top commander during World War II and Konstantin Rokossovsky, a Soviet and Polish general who served as a top commander in the Red Army during World War II would know.
These two military men may be looking down on Israel’s military operations in Gaza while pulling their hair out and thinking out loud: liberating you [Jews] from Auschwitz and Treblinka Concentration Camps served the purpose of realizing the zest to live. The half-hearted operation in Gaza tainted by interference and propaganda is not serving this symbolism.
Israel must end the war in Gaza with all around victory.
