Nothing in the conduct of the Hamas on Saturday, when it delayed the release of hostages, was a surprise to Israeli leaders and military commanders. The war cabinet that overwhelmingly approved the hostage deal stepped knowingly into the trap set by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, probably because of public pressure to bring about the release of hostages, while neglecting their responsibility for the security of Israel and its future.
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Israel's enemies are watching and a policy that favors a cease-fire over continued fighting in order to free a limited number of hostages does not add to Israeli deterrence, especially after the IDF rebounded from the blow of the October 7 massacre and carried out an effective and powerful assault on Gaza despite a failure of military intelligence to realize the extent of the Hamas underground fortifications.
In fact, there must be hope that when more soldiers and commanders emerge from the war, some of the images recorded by the military will reveal their valor.
The senior IDF command said that at least 5,000 terrorists have been killed since the start of the war and thousands others were either injured or buried under the destroyed buildings in Gaza, reinforcing the position that the fighting should have been allowed to continue and more military achievements accomplished, to demonstrate the price for dealing Israel such a blow as was dealt on October 7. The decision to start the war in the northern part of the Strip and not on Khan Yunis was also a mistake, especially when an additional division was available to accomplish the task.
Some in the senior command have asked when Khan Yunis would be targeted so that maximum pressure is exerted on the enemy.
Against the backdrop of those concerns, the humiliating hours of delay in Saturday's hostage release should be considered. Was there any Iranian involvement in the psychological torture imposed on Israel? And how did Israel respond to the delay? The results of the war in Gaza will have profound impact on the battle against the Hezbollah and, for that reason alone, Israel must not relent amid Hamas' conduct and the obstacles the terror group had put and will continue to put on the road to the release of hostages under the agreement negotiated by Qatar.
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Released hostages driven out of Gaza by Red Cross
(Photo: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa / Reuters)
In the meantime, the forces in Gaza must defend against attacks in a hostile environment above and below ground. They have encountered terror squads and are deployed in an area that is once again filling up with civilians. The challenges there are many, but they must look ahead to the future fighting, especially in the south of the Strip.
The IDF is realizing that only after operating in Rafah where Hamas has tunnels bringing in arms, will most if not all hostages be freed. The message must be that, without the release of all captives, the entire strip will be destroyed as the north has been, so that international pressure will be placed on Hamas to make a deal.
Israel cannot keep expecting U.S. President Joe Biden to intervene every time Hamas violates the agreement, and Hamas must not be in control of events and have the unilateral power to decide if-and-when hostages are freed.