Israel must take Rafah

More than four months have passed since Hamas horrifically attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Israel was taken by surprise, but soon after the attack it went on the offensive, advancing militarily, beginning from northern Gaza southward and taking one stronghold after another.

Israel is currently ready to launch a ground offensive in the final stronghold for Hamas, Gaza’s farthest southern city of Rafah, on the border with Egypt. While Israel affirms that this operation can be stopped immediately if Hamas releases its hostages, the terrorists appear unwilling to agree on terms and the Rafah attack is looming.

At this stage, two important questions emerge: What can we tell about Hamas in terms of tactics in this war? And should Israel yield to pressures and halt any further attack against Hamas’ final stronghold at Rafah?

Regarding the tactics of Hamas, by now the world knows that Hamas only survives by shielding itself behind humans—both Palestinians and Israelis.

On the one hand, it uses the humanitarian crisis of the Palestinians while it begs the international community to pressure Israel to stop the war. On the other hand, Hamas leverages the hostages it has brutally taken and mistreated—another humanitarian card—to negotiate for the best deal with Israel. While Israel, as a sovereign nation, must play by the rules of the international community, Hamas—as a murderous terrorist organization—survives by breaking these rules, and murderously so.

This is evident if we trace what Hamas did in the past four months. On Oct. 7, Hamas’ terrorists slaughtered innocent Israeli civilians, with credible evidence documenting the raping of women and massacring of children. Humiliating Israeli civilians is one of Hamas’ major goals. Hamas reportedly infiltrated and manipulated the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA)—at least 12 of its employees are now accused of supporting Hamas’ terrorists on the day of the attack. Hamas clearly forces the humanitarian agency to serve the terrorists’ political goals. Hamas also uses medical facilities, as it is now proven that the group maintained tunnels under Gaza’s largest medical complex and likely used the hospital grounds as a cover for launching attacks against Israel.

For Hamas, no international rules need to be followed. Its terrorists are not accountable to anyone but themselves and the advancement of Islamist ideology. The world should recognize that Hamas survives and advances by exploiting human lives.

But how does Hamas really manipulate international sympathies? By spreading lies about the numbers of the affected and afflicted in Gaza. It is truly curious and alarming that the international community is willing to believe the numbers the Hamas propaganda machine provides

If Israel does not control Rafah, Hamas is not defeated even if its capabilities are somewhat crippled. The terrorist group would be left still functioning and dangerous, primarily because it leverages the lives of hundreds of hostages, both Israeli and international civilians. This is the only winning card in the hands of the terrorists.

Strategically, Rafah has at least four Hamas battalions and is likely the stronghold where most of the hostages are imprisoned. Additionally, while Israel had successfully controlled much of northern and central Gaza, it is quite plausible that a good number of Hamas leaders and resources are in Rafah. This is why Hamas hopes is for the international community to continue to pressure and prevent Israel from advancing to attack Rafah.

Israel has one major demand to stop the war—the release of the hostages. This is a legitimate demand. Hamas can stop the war right now. As an Israeli war cabinet member stated, “Hamas has a choice—they can surrender, release the hostages,” or the fighting will continue. Tactically, and unfortunately, Hamas doesn’t seem serious about the release of the hostages and the Rafah confrontation is looming.

The predicament is clear: To defeat a murderous terrorist enemy, Israel must control Rafah, but a ground attack will have a huge civilian toll.

War is ugly and devastating. We should all hope and pray for it to stop soon, but if Hamas continues to survive, there can be no peace in a bleeding region.