Isn't Hamas partly a product of Israel's making, arising from the desperation and plight of the Palestinians under Israeli occupation - conditions Israel helped to create?
There are allegations that Netenyahu and other Israeli leaders actually backed Hamas, maybe even financially. Netenyahu and others have reportedly made comments about how Hamas serves their interests to divide Palestinians, weaken the Palestinian Authority, and further hamper efforts for peace and the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Smotrich has made several comments about how Hamas plays into the strategy of eventually forcing Palestinians off the land.
https://www.vox.com/23910085/netanyahu-israel-right-hamas-gaza-war-history
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/oct/20/benjamin-netanyahu-hamas-israel-prime-minister
https://www.maariv.co.il/journalists/opinions/Article-1008080 (in Hebrew)
If this is true, then they've made the same mistake the US has made time and time again: Backing some group that might be advantageous to your interests in the short term, only to be attacked by that very group later on.
What guarantee is there that the siege of Gaza and the invasion of Lebanon is not going to simply create a whole new generation of terrorists and embolden these groups?
I'm trying to do the math and it seems that for 50,000+ estimated killed, that's a lot of angry loved ones of the deceased who might turn their anger towards Israel and strengthen groups like Hamas - not weaken them.
That's what the US proved after 20 years of the 'War on Terror'. This may have been the largest boost to terrorism in history. Terror groups have never been more active, even in places they were non-existent 20 years ago prior to the US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan (not to mention interventions in Libya, Syria, and Africa as well)
Clearly you feel this war is justified, but is it wise?
It seems that there were also serious lapses on Israel's part too when it came to monitoring the border and having troops stationed near it that could respond quickly. Where was the Army on October 7?
Perhaps rather than more war, the money and resources would be better spent improving the defenses Israel already has, addressing the conditions that allow terrorism to fester in the first place, and holding those accountable in Israel for not heeding the warnings of soldiers who were trying to sound the alarm about the increase in suspicious activity at the border:
If they had actually done their jobs and heeded the warnings, Oct. 7 may have been prevented. Now, it seems Palestinians are paying the price for Israeli policy and security failures.
