Israel faces multiple challenges as initial outrage of Hamas terror wears off

The images of the horrifying terror attack by Hamas into Israel in the early hours on 7 October 2023 are still fresh and continue to haunt Israel and the whole world. Even nations and groups who have traditionally supported Hamas over the years in its fight against Israel were quick to condemn the terror attack which killed more than 1,300, including infants, women and elderly and marked the single bloodiest day in Israel’s history. Israeli forces, shocked and caught unaware, soon recovered and launched a ferocious air and artillery assault on Gaza targetting key military and command positions of Hamas. By the evening on the first day, ground forces had neutralised most of the Hamas operatives who had infiltrated into Israeli territory and regained control over the breached crossings. Israel has vowed to wipe Hamas ‘off face of the Earth’. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged revenge stating , “We will take mighty vengeance for this wicked day. Hamas launched a cruel and wicked war. We will win this war but the price is too heavy to bear”. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, while briefing the NATO defence ministers in Brussels on 12 October said , “Hamas is the ‘ISIS’ of Gaza. The ‘ISIS’ of Gaza will not exist, on our borders. The IDF will destroy Hamas. And we will hunt down every last man, with the blood of our children, on his hands.” Israel has ordered massive mobilisation calling on over 4,00,000 of its reserves and is amassing armoured tanks, artillery and troops at the border with Gaza in preparation for a ground massive offensive. Over the past ten days, Israeli Air Force has conducted retaliatory and punitive airstrikes against known and suspected Hamas locations in Gaza. Israel has released images and videos of their aircrafts targetting buildings in Gaza, reducing them to rubble, living up-to their pledge that Israel will flatten Gaza to the ground. Israel has cut off supply of electricity, water, food and medicines into Gaza as a punishment to the entire Gaza population. The images on the TV screen and newspaper reports are now filled with Israeli military targetting Gaza and the death and destruction being caused in Gaza. While the world continues to support Israel and its right to defence, concerns are mounting and questions are being asked over the legitimacy, scope and depth of punitive strikes of Israeli strikes into Gaza. The changing narrative In today’s age of internet and social media, perceptions are built and destroyed sooner than can be managed. Many voices of support that condemned Hamas initially are rethinking their strategy as the war spreads. Saudi Arabia which had condemned the Hamas terror strike, in a cabinet meeting on 17 October, chaired by King Salman in Riyadh, renewed the Kingdom’s categorical rejection of calls for the forced displacement of the Palestinian people and demanded an immediate ceasefire, lifting the siege on Gaza. Earlier, on 12 October, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman while speaking to  Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas said that Saudi Arabia continued “to stand by the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate rights to a decent life, achieve their hopes and aspirations, and achieve just and lasting peace”. UAE, which has established formal diplomatic relations with Israel and is a signatory of the Abraham Accords, initially condemned the Hamas terror attack. However, the continued strikes into Gaza causing death and destruction to common people is causing distress among UAE leadership too. In a statement on 17 October, following a strike at a Gaza hospital which reportedly killed around 500 people, UAE along with foreign ministries of Egypt and Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar condemned Israel for the attack. UAE along with Russia also called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting over the attack. Jordan too cancelled the proposed Summit of the US President and Arab leaders in Amman on 19 October. Egypt has traditionally been the peace broker in most Israel-Gaza conflicts and has facilitated movement of Gaza residents and food and aid delivery through its crucial border crossing with Gaza, Rafah Crossing. It too initially called for exercising the utmost restraint and avoiding exposing civilians to further risks immediately after the Hamas attack, but it has refused to open its crucial Rafah border crossing and has condemned Israel of forcing almost 1.1 million people to leave their homes in North Gaza and move southwards. In a joint statement with Turkey , during visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to Cairo on 14 October, they stated, “We reject the policy of Palestinians’ being removed from their homes in Gaza and exiled into Egypt. We are fully against it and stand with Egypt." India has tried to maintain a fine balance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first world leaders to condemn the terror attack and extend support to its strategic ally, Israel. However, on 12 October, it reiterated its principled support for the establishment of a “sovereign, independent and viable” state of Palestine. There have been widespread support marches and demonstrations in support of Palestine all over the world including the US, Europe, Australia etc. The narrative is slowly but surely turning, at least in the region and Israel will have to incorporate it in its plans as it finalises its next step. The humanitarian crisis Following the Hamas attack, Israel declared a “complete siege” on the territory, saying electricity, food, fuel and water would be cut off. Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant said , “We are fighting animals and are acting accordingly.” The Israeli infrastructure minister added , saying: “What was in the past will no longer be in the future.” Later, Israel ordered people in North Gaza to evacuate and move to South Gaza as Israel prepared to target Gaza city. It gave 24 hours to 1.1 million people to be displaced. Such a vast displacement over such narrow geographical area, that too with Rafah Crossing still closed was an impossible and inhuman ask and widely condemned. To add to it, there were reports of Israeli aircrafts bombing places in South Gaza on 17 October, causing casualties and destruction, including to people who were moving southwards from North Gaza. As per reports more than 100 people were killed in the city of Khan Younis in South Gaza as well as a building at Rafah Crossing. With mass exodus of people and essential supplies cut off by Israel, the UN warned on 17 October that Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip are being “packed into an ever-smaller area” and life-saving essentials have essentially run out, appealing for a humanitarian truce to allow aid access. “We can’t move humanitarian trucks and convoys while active bombardment is ongoing,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The World Food Programme (WFP) too warned on 17 October that that shops have been unable to replenish supplies and will run out of available food stocks in “less than a week.” WHO and the UN have said that that thousands of Palestinians trapped in Gaza are likely to die in the coming days if they are denied access to urgently needed relief supplies, especially medicines. Media reports indicate that a number of hospitals, ambulances and even UN facilities have borne the brunt of Israeli airstrikes. At least 11 UN staff and personnel as well as 30 students at UN schools have already been killed in the Gaza Strip . The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) on 18 October condemned “the intentional targeting of medical teams adding that targeting medical personnel is a grave breach to international humanitarian law and to humanity". The UN has said around 4,200 people have been killed since Hamas invaded Israel on 7 October. More than 2,800 of those deaths and nearly 11,000 injuries reportedly occurred in Gaza with another 1,400 deaths and more than 4,100 injuries in Israel. As per Committee to Protect Journalists ( CPJ) report , as of 18 October, at least 17 journalists have been killed in this war which includes 13 Palestinian, 3 Israeli, and 1 Lebanese, mostly while reporting in Gaza Strip. The latest setback however is the unfortunate strike on Al-Ahli al Arabi  hospital in Gaza on 17 October which killed over 500 people . Although Israel tried to present proof that it was a misguided rocket from PIJ that had struck the hospital, there are very takers, especially in the region. With an accident of such mammoth proportions, emotions are likely to get inflamed soon in the region, slowly turning the tide against Israel. The Hamas challenge The military fight between Israel and Hamas is of two unequal forces. Israel has a well-organised, structured and equipped modern military, while the Hamas has fighters who have been mustered, indoctrinated, equipped and trained as any other terrorist organization in ground combat, guerilla warfare, suicide attacks etc. What is spectacular about Hamas is its cadre which is fully indoctrinated to its cause, is highly motivated and employs extremely innovative and unconventional means to fight wars. Hamas has laid an intricate structure of tunnels inside Gaza often called the ‘Gaza Metro’ which is up-to 30 meters deep at some places and which often open up inside schools and hospitals. Hamas has claimed that the total network is almost 500 Km long, all within Gaza. It is used not only for movement but also to store weapons and rockets as well as cross into Israel underneath the fence. This was a challenge for Israeli army in the past and is likely to pose a huge problem this time around too. The densely populated area in the very thin Gaza strip is a nightmare for any conventional army fighting a guerrilla force and Hamas will pose a great challenge to the Israeli army. The use of Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles will be limited as there is very less space for maneuver in Gaza due to densely located buildings with narrow roads and alleys. In such a scenario, the advantage is always with a force like Hamas which is able to launch ‘sneak attacks’ and bog down enemy’s armored columns. Added problem posed by Hamas is the support it is already getting from groups like Hezbollah which has opened a war front into Israel across Lebanon and Syria, PIJ which is mustering up cadre for taking on Israeli forces in the West Bank and the massive moral and financial support it gets from Iran. Hamas aims to draw in Israeli forces into a long drawn battle of attrition which will eventually force a ceasefire after Hamas and Gaza suffering huge losses. But then, that is a price that they are willing to pay in their fight against Israel. Conclusion For Israel, hard decisions loom ahead. First and foremost is the question, what would constitute a victory? Israel has stated that it aims to finish Hamas forever. Is it however possible? In the previous two ground invasions during Operation Cast Lead in 2008-09 and Operation Protective Edge in 2014 too, Israel had aimed to degrade Hamas to a point that it ceases to be threat. It didn’t happen and Hamas regrouped every-time. If Israel tries to decimate Gaza and flatten it through a ‘scorched earth’ policy, it will a humanitarian disaster of unparalleled proportions, something that even the US will not be able to support Israel on. Plus, it will draw in many more players into active war, which Israel, the US or the region can ill afford. Iran, principle benefactor of Hamas has already warned Israel of pre-emptive strikes if Israel tries to escalate the conflict. The US, its strongest and closet ally too has taken stock of the ferocity of Israeli attacks and in a statement on 16 October stated it would be a mistake for Israel to occupy Gaza again Israel also has to carry out introspection of its own actions over the past decades. It is the victim this time of a terror attack which cannot be condoned in any manner. But what about what its own actions? There is no denying the fact that Israel has been in occupation and control of most part of Palestine land all these years. Even when it withdrew from Gaza in 2005, it has not eased blockades and restrictions, especially after Hamas came to power in 2007. The West Bank continues to be completely under Israeli occupation. The number of settlements in West Bank are growing at an alarming rate leaving practically no space for a viable Palestine State to ever take shape. Its offensive actions against Palestinian worshippers at Al Aqsa Mosque cannot be justified by any means. Prime Minister Netanyahu purported statement to Knesset (Israeli parliament) committee members in a closed-door meeting stating on 1 July (reported by The Jerusalem Post) that Palestinian hopes of establishing a sovereign state “must be eliminated,” cannot be termed reconciliatory in any manner. ‘Once you take way hope, there is no more fear and therefore you have nothing to lose’. In a manner therefore, the Hamas or the Palestinians fighting for a sovereign Palestine state could argue that they have been driven to the brink in the past few years with very little hope. For Israel however, coping with unimaginable brutality and tragedy, it is about revenge and rage. The challenge is to find a path which satisfies both, giving a flicker of hope to one while satisfying the rage within the other. News trickling on 18 October indicates that the US has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have called for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver lifesaving aid to millions in Gaza. The visit of President Biden to Israel on the same day and this development indicate to a very dark phase of death and destruction in the region as Israel readies for a massive ground offensive. Tough decisions await Israel which are likely to have long lasting if not permanent imprint, on the future of Israel and Palestine. The author is Assistant Director, MP-IDSA. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_’s views._ Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .