The first and most important principle of war for any military campaign is the selection and maintenance of ‘the aim’. The aim must be clear and unambiguous, so that everyone, from the most senior general to the private soldier, understands what is trying to be achieved.
Unfortunately for the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) the aim of the war in Gaza – the annihilation of Hamas – is neither clear, unambiguous nor achievable. Now the IDF – or more accurately, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – is facing the very real risk of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
When Joe Biden, the US president, spoke to Israelis during a brief visit 12 days after the October attacks, he said he and ‘many Americans’ understood Israel’s ‘shock, pain and rage’. Then he added a warning. ‘Justice must be done. But I caution this – while you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it.
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