Arab affairs commentator Zvi Yehezkeli stated on Wednesday that an Israeli conquest of the Gaza Strip could ultimately bring down the murderous terrorist group Hamas.
Speaking on Radio 103FM, Yehezkeli explained, "The Oslo mindset still exists in both the Cabinet and the military. While the Cabinet is beginning to wake up to the reality, the military still operates under the assumption that resolving the hostage situation will be enough. I’m not sure how long it will take to militarily conquer Gaza, but it won’t be easy. In Operation Cast Lead, it took about a week. Once the population is isolated, and we can reach sterile areas and remove civilians from combat zones, Hamas will collapse surprisingly fast in the field."
He added, "What’s happening in Gaza is being closely watched by the entire Islamic world and the region. How we handle this situation is crucial. For the first time since the war began, Hamas feels that, through its starvation campaign, the recognition of a Palestinian state, and the IDF's inability to achieve its objectives, it can claim, ‘We’re not going for a deal, that’s clear.’ Hamas doesn’t want a deal - period. If they refuse a deal, the hostages will need to be brought back by force."
On international pressure against Israel, Yehezkeli remarked, "I’m not sure what ‘the world’ means - we’re not pariahs. I’m not suggesting we ignore the world, but we need to coordinate with the US. I would proceed step-by-step with Trump and initiate a migration plan. Your main problem is Egypt and Qatar. While Hamas has been militarily weakened, it continues to win in the court of public opinion through its starvation tactics and victimhood campaign."