“We ourselves don’t yet know what victory is”: what’s happening in the Middle East

< p _ngcontent-sc139 class="news-annotation">US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said that Israel will not be able to defeat Hamas in the Gaza Strip. However, in Israel they do not yet know what exactly victory implies.

About this 24 Channelsaid Israeli journalist Zvi Zilber, noting that the country's leadership has set the goal of the war to completely eliminate the military potential and power of Hamas. That is, the entire administrative and leadership potential.

“We return to the question of what is considered a “victory.” Until Israel answers this question for itself, it is impossible to win if we don’t know what victory means. Hamas must cease to be the power, must cease to be virtually sovereign in the Gaza Strip,” said the Israeli journalist.

The IDF is already once again storms some areas in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army takes control of a certain area and then leaves from there. Subsequently, Hamas quickly moves in.

First of all, Israel must provide the Americans with a plan for what will happen the next day. According to Zvi Zilber, Benjamin Netanyahu still hopes to catch Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

He doesn't know what will happen next. He believes that if he gets Sinvar, eliminates him in battle or takes him prisoner, at that moment it will be a “picture of victory.” He will be able to say that he “overthrew the power of Hamas.” In fact, this is not so, added the Israeli journalist.

The militant leader is hiding very well. It must be a lot of luck, a confluence of many circumstances and incredible work by the intelligence services in order to track him down.

Scenarios for the end of the war

The United States is against Israel conducting an operation in the city of Rafah. All because the Americans, they say, do not understand the goal.

In Rafah, it is possible to destroy, for example, three Hamas battalions and one Islamic Jihad battalion. Provided they are still there. They save their strength and move underground. Where the Israeli army advances a second time, the militants show better skills and learn from their mistakes.

If Israel had provided a clear plan, said would have told the Americans: “We are ending the war by reoccupying Gaza, restoring our military administration for a certain time, building a new Palestinian government that will not be affiliated with Hamas,” or they said, “No, we don’t want to be in Gaza, so let’s reform the Palestinian Authority.” “, noted Zvi Zilber.

This scenario is only possible if Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu utters the phrase “Palestinian state.” However, he cannot do this, because at that moment he will not have a coalition and early elections will take place.

“We are trapped. This goal now seems completely impossible. Such “Cat and mouse” can continue for another year, two, three, ten. For Israel, such a very protracted war – a war of attrition – is actually a lost war,” the Israeli journalist emphasized.

Binyamin Netanyahu cannot make a decision. He is now choosing between loss of popularity, the collapse of the coalition and a decline in his international prestige to the point of being declared a war crimes suspect at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

“I'm not sure that we will be able to return the situation to at least the same as before October 7. We have Hezbollah in the North. There, most likely, there will not be a war without it. Not I know how this war could have been managed worse,” said Zvi Zilber. will make a quick decision, they will resign en masse , led by the Minister of Defense.

War between Hamas and Israel: news

• The IDF controls the Palestinian side of the Rafah checkpoint. Before the start of its operation, the Israeli army asked the city's residents to evacuate.
• The Washington Post wrote that the United States of America offered Israel intelligence about Hamas. Provided that the country refuses to conduct a ground operation in the city of Rafah.
• The United States stopped supplying the IDF with ammunition. All because of disagreements regarding further military operations.