Growing consensus within IDF
Date
1/16/2025 7:09:10 AM
(MENAFN) There is a growing consensus within the IDF that the fight against Hamas will continue in the foreseeable future. Hamas is unlikely to disarm, and its threat will persist, requiring ongoing military action. Even if ground fighting doesn't begin immediately, following the second phase of the deal, the military will maintain a presence in Gaza to serve as a base for potential incursions when necessary. Currently, the IDF is engaged in combat in Gaza without a clear, long-term strategic goal that provides hope or concrete purpose for the Israeli people. In the meantime, the nation is paying a heavy toll, with military casualties rising daily. Israeli government officials are focusing on keeping Hamas weak, in line with the same approach that prevailed before October 7. However, their reluctance to make bold political decisions has resulted in an ineffective, slow-moving military campaign, leaving the army to fight without a clear direction. The most difficult challenges are yet to come in Gaza.
Cabinet ministers, many lacking security expertise and political courage, focus on short-term, tactical measures rather than making difficult, long-term decisions. When confronted with attacks, they react by directing the military to intensify responses, but fail to engage in comprehensive, strategic planning. Meanwhile, soldiers continue to die, and the public remains distracted by trivial matters. Military leaders, despite not publicly addressing the government's failures during the October 7 attacks, are privately urging political leaders to set clear, political goals for Gaza. Suggestions for a political solution, such as renewed settlement or collaboration with the Palestinian Authority, are continuously postponed or dismissed.
It’s evident that some reservists suspect the real agenda may be the resettlement of Gaza, but the government is careful not to reveal this to the families of the soldiers. While the government has the democratic mandate to choose its goals based on its ideology, the current war aim of "undermining Hamas’s rule" is vague and misleading. It fails to address the crucial question: who will govern Gaza once Hamas is removed? The army's leadership is too weak to call out this lack of clarity. The next chief of staff will likely be expected to continue with this ambiguous strategy, waiting for political developments or external factors, such as a potential change in U.S. leadership, before taking decisive action. Until then, the fighting continues.
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