Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that the deaths of civilians in Gaza, the fate of Israeli hostages in Gaza, and everything must stand aside for the military defeat of every last part of Hamas. However, Israel’s military intelligence circulated a document on Feb 12 to Israeli leaders warning that, even if the IDF succeeds in dismantling Hamas as an organized military force in Gaza, it will survive as “a terror group and a guerrilla group,” according to Times of Israel, covering a Feb 15 Channel 12 report by Ilana Dayan. “In this regard, at least,” Dayan suggested, “there won’t be absolute victory”—as predicted and demanded by Netanyahu since the start of the war.
The document, drawn up by the research division of IDF Military Intelligence, reportedly also states that “authentic support remains” for Hamas among Gazans. Further, given that there is currently no practical effort being made to put in place a plan for Gaza on the “day after” the war, the document warns that “Gaza will become an area in deep crisis.” Assumedly that means that Netanyahu’s policy, instead of providing for Israel’s security, is actually creating a permanent instability on their border.
While many experts outside of Israel have pointed out that the announced goal of wiping out Hamas was never a realistic outcome, it is of some note that the IDF itself has finally made that to Israel’s leadership.