Israel must destroy Hamas utterly. There can be no surrender
Israel’s long-anticipated assault on Rafah has begun. The city is thought to contain four brigades of Hamas soldiers, making it the terrorist’s last stronghold in Gaza. The operation is essential to securing Israel’s borders and safety when military operations end. Yet immense international pressure is being applied to Benjamin Netanyahu in an attempt to force a ceasefire on incredibly unfavourable terms.
We in the West should be in no doubt. Nobody – except for Hamas, and its legions of supporters across Gaza – wishes to see this conflict continue. Everybody else wants a meaningful peace. But this cannot be achieved until the terror brigades are dismantled, and their ability to assault Israel brought to a permanent end.
Only last Sunday, four Israeli soldiers were killed during a Hamas rocket barrage near the Kerem Shalom Crossing – hours before CIA Director William Burns flew into Doha to give voice to US concerns for Israeli restraint and lend force to peace negotiations.
Further pressure was applied by the sudden offer of a ceasefire by Hamas negotiators on Monday, which Israel noted fell “far from” its “obligatory demands”. The operation in Rafah is intended to bring Hamas to the table to negotiate properly, and also to free hostages.
This last gets to the heart of the matter. If Hamas truly wanted peace, and an end to the civilian casualties, then it would accept terms, release the remaining hostages, and renounce violence. That it does not is further proof, if any were needed, that it prefers to fire rockets at Israelis than to protect Palestinians.
Meanwhile on the ground the IDF has moved the Givati and 401 brigades into eastern Rafah, aiming to conduct a limited raid into the east of the sprawling settlement. In an urban area with 1.3 million civilians, and several thousand enemy combatants, it’s hardly a show of overwhelming force and aggression many would have you believe.
That hasn’t stopped the growing chorus of criticism. The US has paused a weapons shipment to Israel, the UK’s own deputy foreign minister has declared that the offensive could break international law, the Belgian prime minister is sceptical of continued trading relations with Israel, and EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell is apparently working on a proposal to limit trade or pass sanctions.
These suggestions are deeply misguided. The assault on Rafah might not destroy Hamas, but it would certainly devastate the remaining Hamas battalions in the region. Their targeted destruction would be a significant step towards peace.
