We are at war, and victory comes from breaking the enemy’s will. It’s time to stop the current half-measures with Gaza, which accomplish nothing.
The disturbing details of how Hamas terrorists held and murdered six hostages intensify the frustration with the prolonged situation in Gaza and the seemingly slow progress in the war against Hamas. Despite significant achievements, the conditions for either Hamas’ defeat or its willingness to agree to a hostage deal still seem far off.
To change this situation, we must recapture the moral clarity of the war’s early days, speak plainly, and act decisively: Those who deliberately starve hostages, despite the world’s humanitarian aid, deserve nothing less than a total blockade, forcing them to choose: surrender unconditionally or face the consequences.
Even if internal and external factors prevent implementing such a complete blockade at the moment, it’s crucial to recognize this as a necessity, not a moral dilemma. From a moral standpoint, no fate is too harsh for Gaza.
This must be the only starting point for dealing with Gaza as a nation that values life. Israel owes Gazans nothing but “blood, fire and pillars of smoke.” We must worsen their situation in every way possible until Gaza capitulates and Hamas is destroyed. We should always remain just shy of actions that would provoke unbearable international backlash.
Hamas and Gaza Are One
Revenge is not a dirty word, and retribution for Oct. 7 should be of biblical proportions. When the war began, after over 1,000 Israelis were brutally murdered, the Israeli consensus fully recognized this obligation. As the war dragged on, our resolve seems to have weakened, and yes, we’ve somewhat forgotten the horrific events that started it all. The murder of the hostages and its brutal manner reminded us of the monsters we’re fighting, and reinforced that there’s no choice but to crush Hamas’ power.
After a decade and a half of Hamas rule, Hamas and Gaza have become inseparable. Therefore, to destroy Hamas, we must break Gaza’s spirit. Without severe and resounding retribution, the message to our enemies will be that carrying out another Oct. 7 is worthwhile. If this becomes the takeaway from this war, Israel’s survival is at stake.
Our leadership, which seems to have lost sight of this, should focus not on the next battalion commander or tunnel-detection strategy, though these are important. Leave that to the military, which is doing its job and achieving notable successes. But these tactical victories are insufficient, and we can’t afford to wait for their slow accumulation to reach a tipping point. Leadership must focus on expediting timelines and making the war’s continuation so unbearable that Hamas begs for its end.
The Alternative Will Be Hell
If Hamas persists in refusing to lay down arms and return hostages, Israel must create a situation where the danger to Gazans from Hamas’ continued rule becomes so palpable, and the suffering so severe, that they conclude it’s better to risk overthrowing Hamas because the alternative is hell.
We are at war, and victory comes from breaking the enemy’s will – often achieved before their military strength is fully depleted. The current approach in Gaza gives Hamas no incentive to compromise because, from its perspective, it has nothing to lose. It disregards human lives and Gaza’s destruction. In some ways, it even benefits it – Hamas excels at weaponizing its casualties against Israel and turning ruins into a source for reconstruction funds, which it habitually receives post-war and exploits for its purposes.
For too many months, we’ve been waging this war timidly, stuck in an ineffective middle ground, primarily eroding Israeli resilience while Hamas profits from aid trucks. Our reservists are exhausted, our international legitimacy is waning, and our northern region is abandoned. The cumulative national and international damage from a year-long war in low gear, still facing our initial opponent, outweighs any potential harm from decisive, focused action. This applies to the other side’s suffering as well. We shouldn’t have eased this pressure in November, and each day we delay resuming it is wasted.
We must stop treating the Nazi-like organization that slaughtered, raped, looted, kidnapped, and continues to abuse hostages as a negotiation partner. Hamas isn’t interested in negotiation outcomes but only in the process itself to psychologically torment us and divide us internally. Public support for a genuine siege, at least in northern Gaza, is at its peak. Both the Israeli public and the international community finally seem to understand that Hamas is merely playing at negotiations, not seriously engaging in them.
There are plans to drastically increase pressure on Hamas. One is the generals’ plan to evacuate northern Gaza and impose a total blockade. If the political leadership is uninterested in this specific plan, fine – let them propose an alternative that will convince Hamas of its imminent, crushing defeat. It’s time to end this neither-here-nor-there approach with Gaza. Maximum pressure. Now. Until now, Hamas has tried to force Israel to accept a deal at any cost. It’s time for them to pay the full price.
