Gaza rethink ends futile game of whack-a-mole with Hamas

Israel’s occupation plan hinges on displacing more Palestinians from northern Gaza, where the majority lived before the war, as Hamas attempts to quell dissent.

Israeli troops deploy at a position near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip. Picture; AFP.

During the first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, an Arab official close to the negotiations said it would probably reach its second phase but not the third: Israel ending the war in Gaza and withdrawing from the territory.

The reason he cited for it continuing at all was President Trump, who he said would keep the pressure on Israel. In retrospect, even that view was optimistic: the ceasefire never made it past the six-week opening phase. Israel resumed its military operation, the goals of which now extend beyond the return of Israeli hostages, even defeating Hamas.

Under the new plan approved by the cabinet, dubbed Gideon’s Chariots, Israel will retain territory without a fixed end date.

Previously, the Israeli military would clear a district and withdraw, allowing Hamas to regroup in what turned into a destructive game of whack-a-mole. The futility of this approach was underscored to Israeli leaders by the sight of Hamas fighters in crisp uniforms emerging from areas of destruction to release hostages during the first phase of that ceasefire.

Israeli forces are now digging in for an extended occupation – even if that means assuming responsibility for handing out aid.

The plan hinges on displacing more Palestinians from northern Gaza, where the majority lived before the war. It would also turn some of Gaza into what is shaping up to be a permanent security buffer. Israel is hoping that Hamas will in the meantime succumb to internal pressure. The militants have been as busy quelling dissent from hungry and homeless Palestinians as they have been fighting Israel in recent weeks.

The subtext is that there will be little left standing for those Palestinians to return to, should the war ever end. Rafah, in southern Gaza, has been completely flattened in recent weeks. That will make Trump’s idea, supported by Israel, of “encouraging” Gaza’s residents to leave more tempting. The new plan will work towards that end, Israeli officials say.

All such attempts have failed in the past, despite threats from Trump to withhold aid from Egypt and Jordan if they refused to take in refugees.

Both states say the plan is tantamount to ethnic cleansing and have been backed by other Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, where Trump is due to visit along with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Egypt’s plan is to sideline Hamas, fund Gaza’s redevelopment and keep the Palestinians in place.

Arab officials are optimistic that Trump can be swayed and Israel has said it will allow a grace period coinciding with Trump’s visit for Hamas to release the remaining hostages.

But Hamas has proven it has no qualms about seeing thousands of Palestinians die and territory destroyed. It will surely resist giving up the remaining hostages without an Israeli commitment to ending the war.

The Times