The Israeli government has lost its way — and soon the IDF will lose everything it achieved in Gaza | Avi Ashkenazi
Almost three years after October 7, the IDF is in a defensive position in Gaza, while Hamas is rebuilding its strength and Israel is forced to deal with American pressure to reduce its activity.
For almost a week now, the IDF has almost completely ceased fire in the Gaza Strip. IDF soldiers are currently engaged in a defensive posture. They are positioned on the "yellow line" in front, while IDF outposts are one or two positions behind. In the space between the border fence and the yellow line, the IDF is operating to locate additional Hamas infrastructure—those that have not yet been neutralized, and some of which have been renovated and recently put back into service by Hamas.
As of now, Hamas shows no signs of disarming and has no intention of leaving. It is doing everything to recover, including recruiting young people and training them in military specialties. It is attempting to restore its weapons arsenal. Just this week, a dog from the Oketz unit discovered a tunnel deep underground used as a weapons depot containing dozens of rockets. In the Egypt border sector, soldiers of the Paran Brigade of the IDF's 80th Division intercepted a drone carrying 21 rifles and ammunition, likely intended for Hamas on the Gaza border.
Binding the hands of IDF forces in Gaza is a worrying move. The fact that Hamas operatives have returned to the streets to demonstrate governance is problematic. This is how Hamas gains strength and attracts new recruits. Furthermore, Hamas is operating on the ground against the IDF through surveillance and intelligence gathering. There are increasing attempts to cross the yellow line. It is likely that when they are not pursued, they begin planning attacks against forces on the ground, outposts, and even the border fence.
The core problem is that while Israel managed to act with great force and defeat Hamas militarily, it failed to build a strategy for the "day after." Almost three years after October 7, 2023, it is now forced to curb American dictates. Within the security establishment, there is an understanding that the IDF will soon be required to evacuate several areas along the yellow line. Those replacing the IDF will likely be soldiers from Morocco or the Arab Gulf states. How trained are they to deal with Hamas? How well do they know how to operate against tunnels and underground warfare? How determined will they be to stop terrorists approaching the border fence or IDF outposts?
On Thursday, the Security Cabinet met. During the discussion, ministers attacked the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, for the IDF's lukewarm response following the incident in which two IDF soldiers were killed and four wounded by explosive devices in a building in the village of Majdal Zoun in southern Lebanon. However, the ministers attacking the Chief of Staff lack any shred of integrity. They are the ones who restricted the Chief of Staff and the IDF; they are the ones tying the hands of the IDF in Gaza and Lebanon. In a display of audacity, they criticize the army for the limited response that they themselves dictate.
The sad reality is that everyone, both at the military and political levels, knows the government is behaving as if it has forgotten the October 7 massacre, marching with eyes wide open on all fronts toward the same policies that prevailed before October 7, 2023.
