Israel’s conflict with Hamas is set to be a long one—with both sides struggling to accomplish their fundamental aims and no clear path to any kind of enduring peace.
Israel has sworn to destroy Hamas as a significant military and political force. Hamas is committed to the long-term goal of erasing the Israeli state.
The irreconcilable stakes are existential for both. And that means that even if a cease-fire halts the current round of fighting in Gaza, the struggle between Israel and Hamas will continue.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said his country would continue its current war in Gaza until it achieves Hamas’s complete destruction. “There is no substitute for total victory over our enemies,” Netanyahu said Thursday.
The Israeli military’s limited progress so far in eliminating Hamas in the enclave is increasingly sowing doubt in Israel about whether Netanyahu’s stated goal is achievable soon.
Israel’s conflict with Hamas is set to be a long one—with both sides struggling to accomplish their fundamental aims and no clear path to any kind of enduring peace https://t.co/M1gfz7mFDw https://t.co/M1gfz7mFDw
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) January 26, 2024