Beyond Hamas

The wait has been tense and dramatic. The bombings have caused enormous damage to Hamas and the rest of the Palestinians in Gaza, but they did not appease the anxiousness to respond to the brutal terrorist actions against Israeli civilians and the kidnapping of dozens of women and children.  

Speculation about the credibility of Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is growing by the hour. This time, his political survival is in serious political jeopardy because of his earlier ambitions to pursue judicial reform that in practice amounted to a caudillo-like grip on power and had seriously divided Israeli society.

Now, he bears ultimate responsibility as prime minister for the unexpected and stunning intelligence and security failure that enabled the fateful coup by Hamas and its external collaborators. But as George Bush Jr. did in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, instead of taking responsibility and going home or being otherwise accountable, he took the lead in responding to al-Qaeda's challenge. The overall military, political, political, economic and social outcome in Afghanistan and Iraq is well known and quite regrettable as far as we know.  

Netanyahu has formed a unity government, but the opposition is wary of the radical ultra-Orthodox. Rather, it seems that the still prime minister will have to face and take his fate into his own hands. The delay in the decision to launch the major land, air and sea operation over Gaza against Hamas has caused cracks in the relationship between the military high command and the political establishment.  

The temporary incursions with tanks are intended to check Hamas's defence capabilities as far as possible and, above all, in an attempt to locate and free the hostages. A task that everyone assumes will be very difficult. Hamas is trying to negotiate and blackmail with these lives. The fear is that it will repeat the atrocities of 7 October and viciously murder them.

This analysis is short term and at the drop of a hat, because on the analysis tables of international experts the explanation is emerging that the coming intervention - no one accumulates so much force if they are not going to use it, as Putin did in Ukraine - has more objectives than liquidating Hamas. The decision is to end the deployment of the Iranian Al-Quds brigades that directly control Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, groups in Syria and elsewhere. The US has moved two aircraft carriers and its naval groups to the area. France and the United Kingdom have also moved in. Even Germany has sent special operations teams to Cyprus to intervene to free its hostages. The response of Israel and its allies may go far beyond Hamas.