Ohad Tal
Jerusalem Post, Mar. 27, 2025
The three war goals outlined by the Israeli government immediately after the October 7 attack were clear: to destroy Hamas, to free the hostages, and to ensure Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel. Each of these goals has been achieved to a degree yet not completed.
Since the last hostages were released on February 27, there has been a de facto ceasefire between Israel and Hamas – the IDF hasn’t been fighting Hamas, nor have any hostages been released. Meanwhile, the path of negotiations with Hamas has reached a dead-end, as the terror organization is simply unwilling to meet Israel’s minimal demands.
Israel cannot and will not accept a situation where its war aims are not being advanced at all. This is why we are now returning to war against Hamas.
However, many in Israel and around the world are pondering whether the fighting will be any different this time around. If the war goals were not achieved in their entirety through military force for over a year, why is the IDF launching another offensive in Gaza? Some have suggested that another military campaign is futile, extremely costly, and unjustified.
But the strategic environment that now enables the return to war is dramatically different from where we were a few months ago. The two main shifts that are conducive to the ultimate defeat of Hamas are the changes in leadership – in the White House and in Israel’s military headquarters in Tel Aviv. …SOURCE