A public policy expert warns that, in Israel's campaign to fully root Hamas out of the Gaza Strip – a process which could take years – the Israel Defense Forces could end up making the region permanently unlivable.
Tamer Qarmout of Saskatchewan, Canada, who currently serves as an associate professor of public policy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies in Qatar, highlighted that while the U.S. does its best to overlook the ongoing assault on Rafah, Tel Aviv is continuing its destructive operations without a clear end-game strategy. (Related: Israeli jets deliberately strike ambulance in Rafah, killing two paramedics.)
Reports indicate that U.S.-made weapons are being used in Israel's recent offensive, with at least 200 injuries and no less than 45 deaths, mostly civilians. Despite this, the administration of President Joe Biden maintains that Israel's ground operations in Rafah are not "significant" enough to warrant U.S. sanctions.
Qarmout suggests that it could take years for Israel to eradicate Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups, questioning whether the global community will tolerate the continued slaughter of Gazans.
On May 29, Tel Aviv indicated that the conflict in Gaza might extend until at least 2024. War Cabinet Minister Gadi Eisenkot stated that "three to five years will be needed for significant stabilization" in Gaza.
Qarmout argues that even if the war cabinet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu devastates Gaza civically and makes it uninhabitable, this does not guarantee the destruction of Hamas. He remarks that Israel lacks an exit strategy from Gaza and is primarily destroying its civil order and livelihood.
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Currently, Tel Aviv is negotiating with the U.S., European and Arab countries about post-war governance of Gaza.
"Israel wants to maintain security control over Gaza without the responsibility of re-occupying it and managing its 2.5 million residents," Qarmout added.
Qarmout describes Israel's campaign against Gaza as genocidal, supported by U.S. protection despite growing international condemnation. He claims, "The U.S. has provided an umbrella of protection" through the United Nations and its veto power in the Security Council.
Israel's prolonged war in Gaza lacks clear exit strategy for IDF
Israel's retaliatory war in Gaza since October 2023 has entered its eighth month without achieving its goals of eliminating Hamas or securing the hostages' release.
Humiliated, internationally isolated and accused of committing democide in Gaza, Israel faces a dilemma – it cannot end the war without a satisfying victory, nor can it continue indefinitely.
Terry Deibel of the National War College noted that superior military power does not guarantee success, and high casualties and costs reduce public support for military actions. Deibel argued for a clear exit strategy in case of failure.
Israel's prolonged and destructive war in Gaza, lacking a clear exit strategy, demonstrates that revenge has taken precedence over strategy, resulting in civilian deaths and endangering hostages.
Ending the war is Israel's most rational option, achievable, according to Deibel, through three scenarios:
- Unilateral Ceasefire: Declaring a ceasefire would be commended worldwide and could lead to a peaceful resolution. Dennis Ross, former U.S. envoy to the Middle East, supports this option, arguing that freeing the hostages militarily is impossible and that Israel needs a strategy with a clear objective, such as Gaza's demilitarization.
- Negotiations with Hamas: Reviving talks between Hamas and Israel is seen as the most viable way to end the conflict. Past successful hostage releases were achieved through negotiations, and U.S. officials and military experts argue that a total victory over Hamas is unachievable. Negotiating an agreement would ease the burden on Palestinians and offer Israel a face-saving measure.
- Continued Military Assault: Continuing the military assault until total victory is the least rational option, given the war's fruitless eight months, growing global criticism and mounting internal pressure for the hostages' release.
Watch this video of the IDF targeting an area in Gaza containing only civilians and journalists.
This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.
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CONFIRMED: Israel used "U.S.-made weapons" in Rafah "safe zone" massacre.
World leaders express horror over Israeli airstrike on "safe zone" in Rafah.
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