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Israeli media: Fighting Hamas as if it were ISIS deceptive strategy

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media + Al Mayadeen
13 Oct 2023 10:03

Haaretz newspaper criticizes the strategy of scorched earth as an ineffective strategy, falling short of a comprehensive strategy.

Masked militants from Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, ride vehicles as they commemorate the 30th anniversary of their group, in Gaza City, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017 (AP)

Israeli media reported today that the narrative of "war against Hamas as if it were ISIS" is void and doesn't serve as a strategy.

Haaretz newspaper stated, "Israel has adopted a new approach [to contain Hamas], but it will also fail," adding that "Israel made a mistake in its dealings with Hamas, and the war against Hamas as if it were ISIS is a lie to obscure the issue of control over the Gaza Strip."

It pointed out that "Israel now remains without a strategy and a vision, and it is still responsible for what is happening in the Gaza Strip and its two million inhabitants."

The scorched earth approach, the newspaper added, will not allow for any alternative local leadership to be consolidated. Without a unified Palestinian authority in both Gaza and the West Bank, there can be no comprehensive solution, the newspaper explained.

The newspaper, however, thought it to be unlikely that any new Israeli cabinet in the near future would allow this.

Smoke and destruction are all you see in al-Rimal neighborhood in #Gaza following the continuous brutal Israeli bombing with entire residential buildings being flattened.#Palestine #GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/Cy2FmKbqAr
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 13, 2023

Marc Garlasco, a military advisor at the Dutch organization PAX for Peace and a former UN war crimes investigator in Libya, pointed out that "Israel is dropping [bombs on Gaza] in less than a week what the U.S. was dropping in Afghanistan in a year, in a much smaller, much more densely populated area."

On Thursday, the Israeli occupation air force claimed that it dropped 6,000 bombs on the Gaza Strip. According to military analysts, this number is staggering within a six-day period.

Happening now | In the heart of #Gaza, amidst the sounds of sirens and the thunderous roars of destruction, no one is truly safe.

As "Israel" continues to bomb the Gaza Strip hysterically, mothers, fathers, and children cannot find safety.#Palestine #GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/LjtHAoMpIW
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 13, 2023

According to US military records, the most extensive amount of bombs and other munitions deployed in a single year during the Afghanistan war slightly exceeded 7,423, as stated by Garlasco.

It is worth noting that Garlasco was involved in strategizing airstrikes for the Pentagon in the course of the US invasion of Iraq.

Moreover, a UN report indicates that over the entire duration of the conflict in Libya, the NATO military alliance documented the release of over 7,600 bombs and missiles from aircraft.