Why Israel must destroy Hamas

Concern about the fate of civilians caught up in Israel’s long-anticipated Rafah offensive is legitimate. But it does not negate the fundamental fact that if it is to prevent further barbarity such as that shown by Hamas in its slaughter of 1200 Jews and the kidnap of another 250 on October 7 last year, Israel has no realistic alternative. Now that the offensive has been launched, Israel must do everything possible to minimise civilian casualties. That will be difficult when Hamas’s leaders such as Yahya Sinwar and his four battalions of fighters are planted amid hapless Palestinians and Israeli hostages who are used as human shields.

Taking control of Hamas’s last stronghold is the only way to expedite victory and end the suffering of Gazans caused by Israel’s war of self-defence. The invasion of Rafah was necessitated by the events of October 7. On that day it became impossible for Israel to allow Hamas ever again to control territory or remain in power. To do so would be to allow it to set about planning its next massacre of Jews and continue efforts to destroy the Jewish state. No self-respecting country could allow that. Yet for months Israel has been targeted by US President Joe Biden, Anthony Albanese and others warning against attacking Rafah, while Hamas has dragged out negotiations for a ceasefire with no intention of releasing the hostages. On Monday, the situation changed when Israel served notice it was evacuating 100,000 civilians from Rafah to get them out of the line of looming warfare. That was followed by Hamas saying it had agreed to terms for a unilateral ceasefire negotiated by Egypt and Qatar – including an ultimate total Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in return for the phased released of some Jewish hostages and the mass release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Such terms would never be acceptable to Israel.

Former army commander Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main rival for political power, dismissed the proposal, saying Hamas’s so-called ceasefire terms fall “far from Israel’s necessary requirements” and do not “match the discussion we had up until now”. Mr Biden, the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Penny Wong should note that as they react to the Rafah offensive. Hamas’s disgraceful refusal to release the hostages in contravention of humanitarian decency and international law has left Israel with no choice but to launch the offensive.

The sooner the West stops falling for Hamas propaganda, the sooner the war will end. As Cameron Stewart wrote on Tuesday, Israel is now embarked on perhaps the most perilous moment in the war. But it cannot live alongside terrorists hellbent on its destruction and mass murder of Israelis.