Yonah Jeremy Bob
Jerusalem Post, Dec. 29, 2023
“Classified briefings by Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfus, who commands the invasion of Khan Younis, revealed that full control could take months, lasting beyond the deadline Israel has set for large-scale military operations.”
What is happening in southern Gaza—and as important, what isn’t happening—threatens to leave the Middle East violently unstable for years. The battle for Khan Younis is forcing Israel to face a harsh reality: Hamas likely won’t be totally annihilated. And Israel’s two goals, killing Hamas’s leaders and rescuing all the hostages, are coming into contradiction.
Since Israel has mostly taken over northern Gaza, Khan Younis is essentially the last fortress of Hamas’s leadership. The terrorists who have controlled Gaza for the past 16 years are fighting there more ferociously than anywhere else. Visiting Khan Younis on Dec. 21, I saw how intense the battle is even after three weeks and despite the Israeli military’s efforts to wrap up the fighting.
Despite past successes such as the daring and ingenious operations to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons for more than 20 years, Israel has often ignored Hamas since it took over Gaza. Even the differing results so far in northern and southern Gaza have raised questions about whether Israel has the will and endurance to sustain the battle.
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