Meir Ben Shabbat
Israel Hayom, Aug. 11, 2025
“The cabinet’s decision suffers from several key weaknesses.”
The cabinet’s decision on the five conditions required for ending the war has effectively resolved the dispute over the preferred course of action, since these conditions can only be met through a full occupation of Gaza. However, clarifications and limitations inserted in an attempt to navigate Israel’s political and operational constraints have left gaps that Hamas will likely exploit to avoid defeat.
One example is the “waiting period” before the start of a move to seize Gaza City, along with the gradual implementation of the plan and the granting of an “escape hatch” to Hamas, enabling it to halt the attack against it at any moment, regain quiet, and reassert control. To break Hamas’ spirit, it must be kept under continuous pressure, with the only way out for its members being surrender and the release of hostages.
Three options remain before Israel’s political echelon regarding Gaza. None promises to deliver all the war’s objectives. The reoccupation option, the riskiest of the three, is also the most likely to produce the outcome the cabinet set.
The first option exists only “on paper”: surrender to Hamas’ demands. This would mean a complete end to the war under US and international guarantees, withdrawal to the lines of October 6, allowing the entry of equipment and raw materials for reconstruction, and releasing imprisoned terrorists in exchange for hostages according to agreed terms…..SOURCE