Victory over Hamas will be hard to achieve

‘If you want peace, destroy Hamas. If you want security, destroy Hamas. If you want a future for Israel, the Palestinians, the Middle East, destroy Hamas,’ Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week. Given its formidable military capabilities and the considerable international support it receives, Israel holds the upper hand in the ongoing war. But if the Middle East has taught us anything, it is that the notion of ‘victory’ is an elusive endeavour.  

The total defeat of Hamas will be a difficult, if not impossible, task for Israel. Following the devastating terror attack on 7 October, Israel has found itself ensnared in a brutal war. But as the death toll mounts on both sides, this conflict is one that threatens to erode Israel’s own moral standing on the international stage, casting a shadow over its relationships with Arab partners and global allies alike.

Arab nations like Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco, which have established diplomatic ties with Israel, find themselves in a precarious position.