Even the targeted killing of three of the sons of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday, cannot change reality. Over six months into the war in Gaza, the defeat which began on October 7 with the Hamas massacre is only growing with each passing day.
This time there can be no blame directed at the military or the Shin Bet. They have been achieving success on the battle field. The problem is that those achievements are not translated into political, strategic successes, primarily due to the consideration of internal politics in order to preserve the coalition more than concern for the country.
The good news is that after the initial shock and the overwhelming tragedy felt by all on October 7, and felt especially by the IDF, the military was able to regroup and deliver, with determination and force, blows to Hamas.
These were not limited in scope. They would require years to recover from. Hamas has lost enormous numbers of its forces that have been killed and many more were captured. It has been unable to respond to the IDF's might above ground, and its leaders have fled into the underground tunnels, deserting the local civilians to their fate.
Senior members of the group fled south, surrounding themselves with the Israeli hostages to avoid IDF fire, and those who failed to do so, such as Hamas third in command Marwan Issa, were killed, or wounded.
Israel's offensive left Gaza destroyed, the Hamas military wing in tatters and its military infrastructure in ruins.
But that is the extent of Israel's success and where the government's systematic failure begins. As soon as IDF troops withdrew, Hamas fighters returned. They have taken command of food distribution, restricted price hikes in local markets and gone after suspected collaborators with Israel, in some cases executing them.
Israel has failed in its war objective to destroy Hamas rule over Gaza, mostly because the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, refuses to consider realistic options for a civilian rule in the strip. Netanyahu is afraid of his far-right coalition partners, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
There is not viable alternative to Hamas rule, other than cooperation with the Palestinian Authority and moderate Sunni Arab States, but Netanyahu fears that more than he fears Hamas' survival. Not because the PA is more dangerous to Israel, but because the mere mention of cooperation with Ramallah could bring an end to his rule. By his own hand, Netanyahu is preserving Hamas' hold on the Gaza Strip.
This failure translates to the hostages not being freed. A deal for their release could perhaps have been achieved earlier in the war, but Hamas dug in and refused to compromise, not least because of the government's diplomatic failings.
Netanyahu succeeded in picking a fight with the Biden administration, creating a strategic crisis with Israel's closest and most important ally. For Hamas, the continuation of the war spells a further rift between Jerusalem and Washington, therefore it does not see a reason to free the hostages.
Hamas sits back and observes as Israel squirms under Biden's demands to deliver massive aid into Gaza, more than the terror group could have hoped for in its wildest dreams. Hamas can now take control of the aid and sell it off to replenish its funds.
The sentiment shared by most of the world, including the American Jewish communities and Israel's staunches allies, is enough! Netanyahu must go so that Israel's reputation may be rehabilitated.
This is not just a failure in messaging - a result of years of neglect and leaving social media platforms and other outlets to be used by pro-Hamas or Qatari initiatives that have poured vast sums of money and effort into transforming Hamas' image from a radical Islamic terror group to the LGBTQ and minority loving darling of young liberal Americans; It is the long-lasting policy toward West Bank Palestinians and the rhetoric of the more outrageous members of the ruling Likud Party and its coalition partners, who should have been barred from the Knesset and from the sensitive positions some of them now hold.
Avi IssacharoffPhoto: Yuval Chen Their mistakes, among other failings, have made Israel into the pariah it now is despite the murder of 1,200 of its people to the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas.
The consensus among Israel's supporters is that Netanyahu is leading Israel to total defeat and not to victory, one that would impose a cease-fire before Hamas can be eliminated and before hostages are released, making the terrorists the true victors in the war.