'Israel' only has weeks left to 'destroy Hamas' in Gaza: The Economist
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After the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, Israeli generals claimed that months are required with soldiers on the ground to destroy Hamas, and two months in, they are still predicting the same.
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Smoke rises following an Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip on Monday, December 11, 2023. (AP)
In a new report by The Economist, "Israel" has been recently trying to paint the impression that the Palestinian Resistance group Hamas is falling apart and Gaza is coming under IOF control, especially after the release of footage on social media that has caused worldwide outrage, showing Palestinian men stripped to their underwear and being searched by the IOF.
On top of that, the IOF raised the Israeli flag in Gaza and lit candles in several battlefield locations for Hannukah. However, this is not the "victory picture" that Israelis are awaiting from the leadership.
After the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, Israeli generals claimed that months are required with soldiers on the ground to destroy Hamas, and two months in, they are still predicting the same. According to The Economist, "success looks unlikely" for "Israel".
With mounting numbers of civilian martyrs, the US is beginning to lose patience, according to The Economist.
Earlier today, The Economist stated that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informally notified "Israel" during his last visit that the war should be over in the Gaza Strip by the beginning of 2024, even though both the US and "Israel" deny the presence of any deadline designated by the White House.
This comes after the White House reiterated its full support for the Israeli occupation entity's war on the Strip amid increasing international and domestic pressure on the administration of US President Joe Biden for a ceasefire and an end to the inhumane aggression on Gaza.
Dependent child of the US
Three days ago, the US vetoed a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, "diplomatically" shielding its ally. The US deputy representative at the UN, Robert Wood, called the resolution "divorced from reality" and "would have not moved the needle forward on the ground."
The Economist believes that the veto highlighted how reliant "Israel" has become on the US for diplomatic support. In addition, it cannot afford to lose its main source of weaponry - the US.
Read more: Israeli media: Fear of war ending without victory
Even if the US demands an end to the war in the beginning of 2024, neither peace nor acceptable living conditions are likely to be regained.
The report adds that even after the war comes to an end, the IOF will most likely continue a low-intensity campaign dependent on mobile ground forces. With that being said, Hamas will still have control over Gaza.
That would indicate that "Israel" failed in achieving its main aim of destroying Hamas ever since October 7.
A chance to survive
In a report yesterday, "Israel's" Haaretz said that the window is closing down on a swift victory in Khan Younis, as the fighting gets increasingly complex and critical.
The newspaper stated that the IOF is having difficulty advancing into the infiltration areas in the Gaza Strip, adding that there seems to be an inconsistency between the war's objectives and the allocated time to achieve them.
Haaretz reported that the IOF are currently engaged in three battles simultaneously, facing increasingly stronger Resistance than they've seen in the past.
"The Israeli army hopes to finalize most of its operations within a week, but by then the battle in Khan Younis will have gotten more critical," the newspaper reported.
A former deputy national security adviser in "Israel", Eran Etzion, stated that the Palestinian Resistance "has a chance of surviving the war" if the pressure keeps mounting on "Israel" to end its invasion in Gaza.
