Israel’s military strikes may have damaged Hamas but they did not destroy it. As such, the rockets likely will continue flying toward Israel, and Hamas’s never-ending attempts at carrying out acts of terror against Israel will persist.
The challenge Israel faces is how to deal with an entity intent on destroying it. Hamas rules Gaza with an iron fist and will not easily relinquish control over the area. What Israel must do is formulate a containment mechanism intended to neutralize Hamas. A cease-fire may be a temporary fix but based on Hamas’s track record, it is by no means a permanent solution. Devising ways to halt funding to Hamas and engaging in an effort to further marginalize Hamas from the rest of the world may be a start.
As we mark the ninth anniversary of the expulsion from Gaza, we not only remember and empathize with the families driven from their homes; we also remember the many people who have lost their lives as a direct result of Hamas being handed the keys to Gaza on a silver platter.
For Israel, this is a not-so-happy anniversary.