Israel's wars: 12 days for Iran, 2 weeks for Hezbollah, 21 months and counting for Hamas in Gaza

Israel’s recent wars with Iran and Hezbollah, both of which lasted significantly shorter periods of time, are being compared to the country’s war in Gaza, which is currently in its 21st month.

The war against Hamas continues despite Israel’s military control over much of the Gaza Strip. This stands in contrast to Israel’s eight-week-long cross-border conflict to contain Hezbollah and its 12-day air campaign against Iran.

The war in Gaza has continued with multiple large-scale ground operations, multiple airstrikes, and two temporary ceasefires since Hamas launched its offensive on October 7, 2023.

Efforts to destroy Hamas’s infrastructure have persisted in spite of mounting humanitarian concerns and international scrutiny, and neither truce has produced a sustainable solution.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are in control of strategic regions in northern and central Gaza, but they have not yet announced a definitive victory.

Israeli officials have pointed to the difficulty of combating a long-standing militant organisation that uses guerrilla warfare and tunnels to infiltrate civilian areas. The war in Gaza has taken on a protracted, urban character with no obvious end goal, in contrast to the air-based campaign against Iran or the more conventional military exchanges with Hezbollah.

The prospects of a new ceasefire agreement, efforts to recover the remaining hostages, and possible frameworks for post-war governance in Gaza are likely to be the main topics of discussion between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting this evening.

Netanyahu’s visit to Washington comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts involving the US, Egypt, and Qatar.

At the same time, worries remain about the lack of a workable political solution. Analysts say that Hamas is much weaker now, but it is not gone. Israeli forces are still on the ground because there is no new government in Gaza.

The difference between Israel’s short fights with Iran and Hezbollah and its long campaign in Gaza shows how hard asymmetric warfare is and how hard it is for Israeli leaders to make strategic decisions.