[March 1, 2025] The question that we are all asking – those of us in the area of concern for world stability – is whether Israel can eradicate Hamas? Why Israel’s leaders would want to do this now is not open for debate. Hamas has gone back on its promises to return certain hostages in exchange for hundreds of Hamas members being released by Israel.
Washington Free Beacon writer Andrew Tobin upended the traditional narrative that Israel does not meet its military requirements to utterly destroy every piece of Hamas. We all have seen on television cameras his Hamas celebrated the ceasefire as a complete victory.
The only way to end the war is to have Hamas and the people of “want” to end it. And Israel wants it ended on their terms, not Hamas’.
“Israeli decision-makers plan to resume the Gaza war in four to six weeks with overwhelming force, sending in tens of thousands of troops to conquer the entire strip in a single coordinated offensive against Hamas.” — Andrew Tobin, The Washington Free Beacon, February 27, 2025
Israeli military leaders believe they now have the troops, equipment, and supplies for one final push. The Free Beacon article lays out part of the strategy that Israel would use. But, like I’ve written before, not just Hamas, the entire Gazan population must also want it. And the way to have them change their minds, is to cut off all resources (power, water, food, fuel, and medical aide).
Israel is still overly sensitive to world opinion. That mattered when America was led by an absent president. No longer. Donald Trump has made it clear to the world that he fully supports the total destruction of Hamas, regardless of the outcry.
“It’s going to be decisive. Israel will use every tool it has to conquer Gaza and eradicate Hamas.” — Amir Avivi, a former Israeli brigadier general who has advised the Israeli government and military during the war.
For now, Israel is less constrained now than Joe Biden and his anti-Israel Democrat Party is on the outs. Trump ended Biden’s restrictions on American military aid and has taken an even harder stance against Hamas than Israel.
“Israel’s government, meanwhile, has replaced a number of top security officials who resisted deeper involvement in Gaza, including former defense minister Yoav Gallant and outgoing military chief of staff Herzi Halevi, with generals who are considered more hawkish.”
To date, many believe that Israel’s military has been too timid. They need to crush Hamas and that means the people of Gaza are going to need to suffer greatly. Otherwise, they will interpret Israel’s compassion as a Hamas military victory. And that is the crux of the problem.
Trump has called for mass deportations of Gazans. Key members of Israel’s decision-makers are coming around to this strategy despite resistance to the idea. Hamas is only able to exist because of the support of Gazans.
“Removing the people of Gaza is the only solution that can really change the reality and create a better life for everybody.” — Ohad Tal, member of Israeli Knesset
Will Israel finally adopt a strategy that crushes Hamas and destroys the will of those who support Hamas? Or will Israel choose a weaker approach?
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Like socialism, an ideology that is proven over and over to be an abject failure, many still love it. Islam is a much more powerful ideology in that it grasps the individual in all aspects of their life. Logic can never overcome it.
Thank you, Gen. Satterfield for the look inside the war that will never end. We need a Carthage event.
WOW, drastic measures. But do we really need to consider them? Do we need to “march” on all those nations that are based upon any form of Islam (and let’s not forget their are many forms) to wipe that population off the face of the earth to kill everyone? This is the solution but too offensive to contemplate by any civilized person. I reject this solution. There has to be a better way, and naturally we will continue our search for it. Maybe it will require muddling through and thousands dying and suffering. The good news is that America and the West can show an alternative to Islam and that solution is freedom. Now there are dangers in freedom but that is another question. Let’s hold up freedom as the wave of the future. But to go down that path, it must be voluntarily adopted. 🕷🕷🕷🕷
Does Israel have the will to totally destroy Hamas? I don’t think they have the will to ”crush” the Gazan peoples because of international pressure like from the United Nations and the European Union. Israel does have support of America and despite the clown show of the past Biden Administration, at least Israel was given some weapons with strategic implications. Th heart of the problem, however, runs much deeper. We are only attacking the symptoms of the disease. The disease is the religion of Islam.
Well said. Obviously, and I know from being raised in Syria, that Islam will never surrender. It will need to be wiped out and that is not going to happen. It won’t happen because Islam is a total cultural phenomenon and no one can wipe out the idea since it does work. It just also spins off terrorism and war.
… and the Western nations don’t understand the breath and depth of Islam. And if they do, they will understand that the way to deal with Islam is to use a hard fist to contain it until one day, those who believe in it do something so horrific that the world finally comes together and destroys it.
Thanks Yusaf and Qassim for your insights. But “we” – meaning the civilized world – are unable to do so. Israel will not crush Hamas because something else will replace it, that is just as horrid.