Egyptian brokers may restrain Israel – but not Hamas or its marches for terror
“Hamas doesn’t want a large-scale military confrontation” is Israeli officials’ favorite term to explain why no major IDF offensive is launched to stop the terrorist plague unleashed from Gaza year after year. Of course, Hamas doesn’t; its style is terror, not full-scale combat. The ongoing Egyptian mediation is thus sidetracked into a bid to prevent Israel from launching a major war, while allowing the Palestinian Hamas to carry on with its highly successful terror-cum-extortion strategy.
Another pet Israeli phrase is that “Hamas needs to gain the profile of a victor.” The Palestinian terrorist group has, however, gained the full-face image of a victor. A panoramic view of the array of Israeli forces, tanks and equipment massed around Gaza by one of the foremost world armies to challenge a small terrorist group, fully justifies Hamas in showing the V sign.
As if to demonstrate that it is business as usual, terrorists hurled firebombs and hand grenades from Gaza at Israel’s border troops for five hours on Friday night, March 29, double its usual strength, whereas the IDF sent a single tank to fire three shells at a lone Hamas position. Saturday midday, the first firebombs of the day were aimed at Israel soldiers.
Hamas had got the message: You can safely carry on your terror-cum-blackmail conduct. The rules haven’t changed. And the message for Israelis: The peak concentration of military strength against your Palestinian tormentors may be impressive, but your leaders have every hope of avoiding using them You may well ask then: if that is so, why was it necessary to shell out millions of shekels to create this build-up?
There are more phrases for excusing Israel’s reluctance to deal with the Palestinian terrorists ruling the Gaza Strip root and branch. One contention is that Hamas is a hopeless case unless Israel re-occupies the Gaza Strip which Israel turned over to Palestinian rule in 2005 and this, no one wants. This contention too betokens the absence of original thinking for which the IDF used to be celebrated.
The incumbent Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi would undoubtedly hope no one remembers his words on September 12, 2007, after the last Israel soldier and all 8,000 civilians had departed the Gaza Strip for good.
As commander of the Gaza Division, he shut the Kissufim border crossing gate for the last time and declared: “If the Palestinians now fire a single bullet, the IDF will return to the Strip.” He was not to foresee that 12 years later, he would take over command of the IDF at the end of the Year of Hamas, during which he was Deputy Chief of Staff and therefore a partner of Prime Minister and Defense Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his predecessor Lt. Gen. Gaby Eisenkot in the evolving Gaza fiasco.
It has reached a point where nothing but fundamental action will suffice for recovering Israel’s deterrent strength, say DEBKAfile’s military sources: Either 1. A large-scale IDF operation for eliminating Hamas leaders and commanders and destroying their Ezz-e-din Qassam armed wing; or 2. A joint-Egyptian military campaign with the same object. Either way, Hamas rule of the Gaza Strip must be wiped out. Halting the operation in the middle for fear of international denigration, like the last campaign four years ago, would totally defeat the purpose.
In 2006 and 2007, the years following Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the late prime minister Ariel Sharon followed his adviser Amos Gilead in relying on Egypt to take care of any problems caused by the Palestinian regime now ruling Gaza. Gilead also urged the government to allow the Egyptian army to take charge of the strategic Philadelphi Corridor linking Gaza and Sinai as a lever for keeping the Palestinians in line.
All the arrangements concluded with Cairo fell down in short order. No Egyptian troops were ever deployed at Philadelphi and, in no time, enormous quantities of weapons were being smuggled through and stoking Palestinian terror.
Relying on Egyptian mediation to avert the ongoing terror catastrophe is as much a farce now as it was then. If perhaps Israel had traded the military and intelligence assistance it grants Egypt in its war on the Islamic State in Sinai for a corresponding Cairo crackdown on Hamas, which also maintains ties with the Islamic State, the IDF might be in a different place today. As matters stand, without fundamental military action, Israel can look forward to nothing less than escalating Palestinian terror in expanding circles from the Gaza Strip.
Running parallel to Egyptian mediation between Gaza and Tel Aviv moreover, another track is taking the lead. On Friday, March 29, Hamas Deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Ziyad Nahalah met in Beirut with Hizballah officials for instructions on how to manage the March of the Millions on Saturday. So, when they stated: “Any Israeli aggression against the demonstrators will be met by the resistance,” they were confirming that Hizballah is calling the shots in Gaza – not Egypt.
Incredible! Bibi and his people must know something we all don’t. I’m now convinced it’s Hamas’ time.
I want justice as much as you guys at Debka do, but step back and remember who is in control. All things in God’s time. He holds the hearts of kings in his palm and moves them as water in any direction he pleases. That goes for Bibi as well.
Something will eventually compel Russia/Persia and the rest to invade Israel (Ez 38, 39). It might be that a forceful Israeli action in Gaza could be the catalyst.
I support such an action to remove Hamas from power. The current situation is intolerable and cannot continue for long.
In my opinion, leftism is to blame for all terrorism. Leftism prevents militaries from carrying through to complete victory. Once Israel decides that political incorrectness is preferable to the constant threat against its citizens’ lives, it will take about ten minutes to wipe out Hamas, Islamic Jihad and their ilk.
Wisdom comes from on high and he does move kings hearts. Anointed…like water in any direction. And his watchman watch and the shofar of God is expected.
If full-scale war is not Hamas’ method of operation, then confront them with dozens of cheap rockets fired indiscriminately into Gaza until they stop the same. Learn from their strategies and employ them with determination to stop the terrorism.
A daily barrage of missiles combined with other techniques will get the worst terrorists to stop their jihad.
Each time a missile is fired from Gaza, incendiary balloons are launched or “demonstrators” resort to violence, turn off the electricity. The population will, in time, opt for electricity over violence and the Gazans will figure out how to self-police those whose actions will shut off the electricity. This is far preferred to sending troops in.
Any operation should conducted when Gaza least expects it. The speed should be lightning quick, penetrate in, take out the target then leave. So quick and so vast, that it feels as though ring conquered without having to actually take over. Drop the fence with Egypt, as a reminder that their failed efforts also have repercussions. Israel should not do anything with Arab countries without a written Contract, and clearly defined playbacks for failure.
Israeli Leadership has lost its ability and will, to defend its People. Just like the Democratic Leadership in the US Congress!
Think not that I have come to bring peace but division. For one will be against another. To raise the righteous seed. The evil seed will be brought to the threshing floor, bundled and burned. Then the redeemed will be brought into the barn.
How does one fight an enemy that has nothing to lose? Each terrorist that is terminated you create insurgents out of his relatives. Each time you give into their demands trying to appease you simply encourage them to demand more. If the enemy was civilized you could reason with them, but by their actions it is easy to see they are not. A conundrum!
Think not that free will can apertain soverign will. For the our LORDS ways are higher than our ways and thoughts are higher than our thoughts, he chooses our day of birth and our day of death…and we never change this…period. His eyes see all things and also all hidden things…nothing is hid…as high eyes both to and fro. He is like the wind, you neither knoweth where he comes from are where he goes. If you seek him, you will find him.
Act Now or Die
It will be hard to stop this today.
Next year it will be nearly impossible to stop this.
The year after you’ll be surrounded and there’ll be nothing you can do.
My Israeli friends, remember a vote for Bibi is a vote for terrorism. The man has been in power for 10 yrs. Does Hamas fear Israel? NO. Does Hizbullah? Nope Have the Israeli air strikes stopped Iran? Nope. So you like paper tigers or like whimps, Bibi is your man. Otherwise vote for Bennet
dont vote for netanyahu or other weak israeli leaders who arent grateful for the privilege to live as a jew in the holy land of the state of israel. 2006 withdrawal was a mistake i said so then. decapitate hamas kill their leaders. dont invade gaza and lose troops. then… encourage and manipulate gazans to vote for a non extremist leader such as king hussein of Jordan. combat iran at each turn. get irans influence out of israel. israel is at war with iran. a war between secular judaism and extremist Islam.
neville bibi will agree to cash for calm more money for terrorists on benifits hopefully people in south & land dont vote for him how can they
COWARDICE – does not work, and never did in the Middle East. The independence War of 1948 would have been lost, Jews indeed would have been pushed into the sea — if Bibi and co. were conducting it…
These Gazani are totally crazy!
They pile up tires on fire to smoke Allah out of the sky.
With the majority in the Knesset , after the elections, Bibi will do a better job in Gaza.
After many elections, Bibi has done nothing to reduce the terror from Gaza or from Judah and the Shomron, or for that matter from Hezbollah and Syria. He is responsible for the great improvements in our economy and diplomacy. The only real way to win and end a war is unconditional surrender from the enemy. That includes driving Iran back to its borders, and destroying the IRGC. If we do that, there’s the chance that Turkey will attack us as well.
We must first destroy Hamas everywhere, and prevent the North from entering the conflict.
Killed three kids
Attacked three ambulances
Wounded six journalists
Just another day of antisemtism by european land grabbers.
Look, you gotta admit, you people stole their Land. Now you control their Air, Sea, Land, Water Supply, and their Economy. Treating them Like you would like to be treated?? What do you expect ???