The Gaza War Ended, the Hamas Problem Remains
By Maj. Gen. (res.) Gershon Hacohen
May 21, 2021
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Israel’s relations with Hamas in the coming months will be tested first and foremost by the strengthening of its sovereignty in Jerusalem. This makes the risk of a renewed conflagration extremely high.
As the fourth war between Israel and Hamas in a decade draws to a close after ten days of fighting, there is little doubt that the terror organization’s military infrastructure was massively degraded. Yet through unwavering commitment to its Islamist precepts and vision, Hamas managed to divert attention from these losses to its supposed success in defending Islam’s holy shrines in Jerusalem, thus casting itself in the eyes of Muslims throughout the world as the unquestionable winner of the war.
From Israel’s vantage point, on the other hand, the war’s success will be determined not only by the length of the tranquility established along the Gaza Strip, but also by the Jewish State’s ability to realize its national interests in Jerusalem. Hence Israel’s relations with Hamas in the coming months will be tested first and foremost by the strengthening of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem. In these circumstances, the potential for renewed conflagration is extremely high.
There is more than one way to reach a ceasefire. Some ceasefires are grounded in agreements or memoranda of understanding, others are marked by the simple cessation of hostilities in keen anticipation of looming developments, as seems to be the case here. In these circumstances, the question of “What to do with Gaza?” will continue to preoccupy Israel’s political and military leaderships for a long time.
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