On the Verge of War of Attrition

Some of the wreckage as a result of bombings

In Cairo, cease-fires are being declared. The first cease-fire was upheld for 72 hours twice as starters and the third cease-fire for 5 days. Is peace only going to depend on cease-fires and not on a permanent settlement? This is a true stale-mate and a formula for a war of attrition that suits Hamas. Hamas was beaten but, as in the past wars, they see a victory in their defeat. If this situation slides into a war of attrition it is to their advantage. The human shield tactic worked in Hamas's favor. Many Gazans were killed, many innocent Gazans as well as terrorists. As time goes on we shall receive many heart rending reports of human tragedy.

Hamas has achieved a number of “mini victories" even though they have taken a huge hammering. The pictures of destruction, dead bodies of children, innocent men and woman coming out of Gaza have turned the world against Israel. Israel has given explanations of the Hamas use of human shields and warnings before an attack but this has fallen on deaf ears with many Muslim communities in Europe, US and in many parts of the world. They have organized huge demonstrations against Israel and even lobbied the UNHRC to institute a commission of inquiry into Israel for "committing War Crimes" because of the use of "disproportionate force". The appointed head is Prof. William Schabas Middlesex University, who is known to have an anti-Israel bias and even though he does not admit it, he has prejudged the situation to Israel's disadvantage.

People gather around a vehicle targeted in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City on July 8, 2014. An Israeli air strike on a car in Gaza City killed four people, medics said,

What is "disproportionate force"? Surely the firing of missiles into Israel with the intention to kill innocent citizens is included in this definition. The Iron Dome interceptor system did its job well and prevented casualties thus minimizing Hamas's intention to kill as many Israelis as possible. Had the Iron Dome interceptors not done their job, "disproportionate force" against Israel by Hamas would have been more appropriate.

Another result is the upsurge of anti-Semitism blaming the Jews for Operation Protective Shield. Here we have witnessed a strange unity between extreme left wing and right wing groups. It is as if there is no left wing or right wing. Both groups have amalgamated into an amorphous mass consisting of communists, fascists, Nazis, Islamist extremists, double-standard hypocritical humanists and socialists. What unites them all is an inherent hatred of Jews and Operation Protective Edge was the catalyst that brought the latent anti-Semites out of the cupboard onto the bandwagon of sanctimonious sympathy for Hamas. This is another "mini-victory" for Hamas.

Another achievement of Hamas (I hope that I am wrong) is the constant desire to have cease-fires in order to give them a breathing space - not because of "humanitarian reasons". This is not in the Hamas lexicon. They have proved this in all the three campaigns of aggression against Israel. The Palestinian People are expendable for Khaled Mashaal and his rotten Hamas ilk of cowards, who conduct the war by proxy. The senior leadership of this terror organization is not even in Gaza. Those subordinate to that barbarian, Khaled  Mashaal, are all in bunkers underground protected by human shields. The cease-fires declared are according to the whims of Hamas. This will eventually result in a war of attrition which is to the advantage of Hamas but not for Israel's good. Hamas cannot beat Israel on the battlefield. Their tactic is to wear Israel down by conducting a war of attrition. Hamas has lost almost all its long-range missiles without achieving a killing, which was and still is their intention. They will conduct sporadic firing of short range missiles in the south of Israel in between each declaration of cease-fires. During the cease-fire period, the IDF will remain on alert until an agreement is reached which does not seem close to being achieved.

If there is no agreement then the war will not have achieved very much in the long term. Hamas will make its demands on Israel as if it is the victor. Egypt is also not keen to give in to Hamas demands. This, at least, is to Israel's advantage. It remains to be seen how long this will last. No progress in any agreement means progress in a war of attrition.

  

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