Political Leadership’s Failure Makes ‘Defeating Hamas’ Impossible – Israeli Media

 By Palestine Chronicle Staff

Members of the Al-Qassam Brigades in front of the house of Hamas' leader Yahya Sinwar in Khan Yunis. (Photo: via QNN)

Israeli analysts say that Israel is stuck in a long-term war of attrition and that the political leadership lacks an alternative strategy, and that defeating Hamas is impossible.

Israeli media outlets have been grappling with the deep crisis facing the government and military’s management of the war in the Gaza Strip. The reports highlight the political leadership’s failure to define clear objectives for the military operation and its inability to achieve a decisive victory against the Hamas resistance movement.

Analysts suggest that continuing military operations will not lead to a fundamental change on the ground but will instead bring Israel back to square one. They argue that Israel will inevitably be forced to negotiate with Hamas over the fate of the prisoners after more of its soldiers are killed.

‘Dead End’

Former Israeli Deputy Chief of Staff, Dan Harel, told Channel 13 that the political leadership has led the army into a “dead end” in Gaza due to “failed management” of the battle. He added that the true goal of prolonging the war might be linked to the upcoming elections, even if the price is more casualties. 

Harel stressed that the crisis is not limited to the battlefield but is also tied to legislative pushes, such as a law to evade military service, all while soldiers and captives pay a heavy price and the political leadership lacks a clear vision for the post-operation phase in Gaza.

In a similar vein, Reserve Brigadier General Doron Harar, a former commander of a crisis management and negotiation unit, believes that Israel will find itself in the same situation a few months from now and will be forced to sit down with Hamas to negotiate the prisoner file. 

He asserted that it is better to start this process now. 

Harar pointed out that focusing solely on military operations will lead to the same repeated outcomes, as a “final solution” will remain tied to political understandings, not a continued war of attrition that drains soldiers without a clear strategic horizon.

Impossible Victory

Regarding the on-the-ground reality, Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Eli Maibri told Channel 12 that fighting in the heart of Gaza City is completely different from previous confrontations. He explained that sending an entire battalion into a multi-story building could turn into a disaster if the building collapses or cannot be secured, exposing the entire force to the risk of annihilation. 

Maibri noted that the dense urban nature of Gaza makes any ground advance fraught with danger, and managing the battle in such an environment requires sensitive field decisions that cannot be reduced to political slogans or quick victory expectations.

Ofer Shelach, a researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, stated that for the first time, Israel has made a decision that verges on a “war crime” publicly by its government. 

He emphasized that the exhausted army cannot achieve victory because “defeating Hamas militarily is impossible.” 

Shelach clarified that Hamas is an “armed guerrilla force” that cannot be eliminated by military force alone but only by creating a strong alternative that imposes itself on Gazan society, something Israel has not sought to achieve since the outbreak of the war in October 2023.

According to Shelach, the Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, initially believed that the military operation might open the way for a prisoner exchange deal or weaken Hamas. However, after more than six months, he realized this premise had collapsed and that the army was unable to achieve a strategic victory. 

Shelach added that Zamir is currently seeking to appease the political leadership by keeping the army in defensive positions and carrying out only limited air and ground operations to prevent Hamas from rebuilding its power, without claiming that it can be eliminated.

Analysts concluded that Israel is stuck in a long-term war of attrition and that the political leadership lacks an alternative strategy, making a settlement or a return to the negotiating table far more likely than any military resolution on the ground.

(PC, AJA, Israeli Media)