Untenable military operation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has finally spelled out the endgame for his land operation against Gaza by telling Western leaders recently that his aggression will not stop till the strip becomes demilitarised. 

In other words, what started out as a limited operation to close tunnels dug by Hamas fighters across the border with Israel and silence Hamas rockets, is ending up to be a much larger military and political manoeuvre that cannot be achieved without a total or partial occupation of the Gaza Strip. Indeed, Israel’s reoccupation of the coastal enclave, or parts of it, has become an open secret.

If this is truly the only exit policy for Israel from the Gaza quagmire, then it is a tall order that promises more bloodshed and destruction, especially for Palestinian civilians. 

All seasoned military experts agree that to render Gaza a demilitarised zone would entail months of door-to-door fighting during which thousands more innocent lives will be lost. 

Instead of seeking a military solution, Israel should be seeking a political solution. 

Given the undisputed fact that Hamas was able to assemble or manufacture long- and medium-range rockets even when Gaza was under a strict blockade for decades suggests that a military solution to the conflict is not operational and is not within reach no matter how hard the Israeli army tries. 

How to hammer out this political solution should be the priority of all stakeholders, especially after a ceasefire is observed, in order to give peace a chance and allow time for reflection on the terms of this goal.