Targeted killings have stopped - and no alternative has been proposed: The government's policy in the Gaza Strip is starting to become dangerous
Alongside the IDF's achievements in the Gaza Strip, Israel is changing course: Hamas has not yet been disarmed, but the government has approved the entry of a multinational force and stopped targeted killings - without presenting an alternative for dealing with the organization. At the same time, the demand for the pace of construction of the new city in Rafah is raising questions within the defense establishment.
The IDF has achieved great successes in the Gaza Strip, especially in the last year, by creating a well-oiled machine for locating, mapping, and destroying terrorist infrastructure above and below ground. As a result, the IDF currently controls between 65% and 70% of the Gaza Strip's territory.
At the same time, the commander of the Southern Command, Major General Yaniv Asor, who will soon compete for the position of Deputy Chief of Staff, promoted a very clear policy for countering terrorism through airstrikes. The strikes are directed at everyone who took part in October 7, with an emphasis on operatives who crossed the border into the territory of the State of Israel, but also against those who are currently promoting terrorist activity and rehabilitating the capabilities of Hamas's military wing.
This is a combination of precise intelligence from the Shin Bet, which does not receive proper credit for its achievements, intelligence from Aman, and aerial firepower capabilities. A senior officer told Walla that "this is high-quality intelligence and the exploitation of operational opportunities."
However, in recent weeks, under pressure from the new Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, as well as Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE on the US, a significant turn has occurred in the attitude towards Israel's activity in the Gaza Strip.
First, the Israeli government surrendered to American pressure and approved the entry of about 200 members of a multinational force into the Gaza Strip before Hamas was disarmed and handed over responsibility to the peace government.
Shortly after criticism was voiced from within the defense establishment regarding the pragmatism shown by the government towards Donald Trump's peace plan, while ignoring the rehabilitation and re-establishment capabilities of Hamas, a decision was made to completely stop targeted killings in the Gaza Strip - without presenting alternatives.
On this issue, one can criticize the Israeli government, which insisted on preventing the involvement of the Palestinian Authority in the Strip, and on the other hand, the policy of Donald Trump, the envoy Nickolay Mladenov, and the peace government, who are rushing to rehabilitate the south of the Strip. This is done without them presenting a strong infrastructure to deal with Hamas returning to govern the entire Strip, including in the area that is supposed to be "terror-free" in the Rafah area. In practice, what is happening is that the US and Israeli policy is allowing elements hostile to Israel, such as Qatar and Turkey, to expand their influence.
Also, the American conduct regarding the establishment of the new city in Rafah is raising questions among professionals. According to them, the quality of the buildings and infrastructure and the speed at which the Americans want the contractors to finish is illogical, and does not align with the idea of establishing a municipal system that knows how to absorb 50,000 Palestinians who are not involved in terror.
And if that were not enough, it became known that a Nukhba operative who was directly involved in October 7 was arrested near the Kerem Shalom crossing by the Shin Bet and the IDF after he received permission to work as a driver transporting humanitarian aid.
In analyzing the processes around the Gaza Strip, it can be assessed that the government's policy in the Gaza Strip is starting to become dangerous and could lead to further negative processes.
