Harder days ahead for Netanyahu
By Ebrahim Beheshti
Staff writer
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak has warned that Israel would find itself “sinking in the Gaza mud for years to come” if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintains his fragile grip on power,
The stern warning carries weight, considering that Israel’s well-equipped army is already mired in the Gaza Strip. Over a hundred days have passed since the Israeli aggression on Gaza, and thus far, Israeli soldiers have failed to uncover any trace of an Israeli captive in Gaza. The loss of 24 Israeli soldiers and officers on Monday in central Gaza is evidence that Hamas remains active. Many Israeli officials labeled Monday as a “difficult day” for Israel. This is the highest number of casualties for the Israeli army since the October 7 attack by Hamas on the occupied territories, even as Israel was gearing up for a post-Hamas Gaza.
In recent days, various plans have been put forward for the governance of Gaza after the war, with the central premise of all such proposals being the eradication of Hamas. The heavy blow suffered by the Israeli army on January 22 poured cold water on Israel’s and its supporters’ plans for post-war Gaza. However, this does not imply that the Israeli war machine has stalled in the Gaza Strip; rather, it exemplifies the challenges that Netanyahu and Israel will face in the days to come, underscoring the complexities of the war in the Palestinian territory. Military superiority will not necessarily guarantee the desired outcomes.
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