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Israel has pulverized Hamas during the last seven months, destroying its infrastructure, killing its fighters, and reducing much of the Gaza Strip to rubble, but Hamas is proving to be more resilient than few people in Israel thought possible. The terrorists have resumed rocket attacks in Northern Gaza into Israeli communities and have regrouped in other areas.
Even after Rafah is reduced, the IDF will have work to do to prevent Hamas from ever being a threat to Israeli civilians again. That may prove a step too far for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet, which is already demanding an exit strategy.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Netanyahu rival Benny Gantz have given the prime minister an ultimatum to come up with a post-war plan by June 8 or they will take a walk.
The two retired generals are dead set against Israel re-occupying Gaza — a task they gave up in 2005. Netanyahu’s ultra-conservative right flank is demanding that Israel re-occupy Gaza, but Netanyahu says he would only agree to Israel taking over security for the Strip.
Both Gantz and Gallant are opposed to giving Hamas a role in the new Gaza government or any government that would lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state. Instead, they offer four scenarios with varying levels of realism for Israel to end the war.
To ensure Israel’s security and prevent another October 7, Amir Avivi, a retired Israeli general and former deputy commander of the Gaza division, thinks the Israeli military would have to maintain control to prevent Hamas from “regrouping.
