It would be a major strategic error for Israel to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza, as some are calling for now. Any let up in air and ground attacks would simply allow Hamas to regroup, rearm and replenish its depleted ranks with new recruits ready and willing to kill women, children and babies the next time the opportunity arises.
Israel’s approach should not just be viewed through the prism of rage or revenge for the atrocity which left 1,500 Israelis dead three weeks ago. The military operation in Gaza is designed to degrade Hamas’s military capability to such an extent that it will take years to recover. The primary objective is to kill or capture Hamas’s high command while also destroying the terrorists’ seemingly endless arsenal of rockets, vast tunnel network and supply routes.
There will come a time for compassion, when Israel should help rebuild Gaza’s bomb-damaged neighbourhoods, hospitals and schools.
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