300 days have passed since the morning of Simchat Torah, October 7, when Hamas terrorists launched a murderous surprise attack on Israel and opened the gates of hell on the Gaza Strip. On the same day, shortly after Prime Minister Netanyahu’s memorable announcement that “we are at war. Not in an operation, not in another round – war.”, the temporary name “Swords of Iron” was given to the war. It is doubtful whether anyone thought then that the name would remain in place 300 days later, or more importantly, that the war would still be ranging 300 days later (yours truly, for example, gambled a few days after the outbreak that the war would take no more than two months). This is the longest of Israel’s wars since the War of Independence, and in many ways the most difficult and challenging. Nevertheless, there are achievements – great and significant achievements, whose consequences will have a great impact on reality from now on, and change the face of history. We will now count some of these achievements, gained in the 300 days of the war.
Weakening of Hamas
Hamas is no longer what it was, nor will it ever be what it was, even if it wanted to be; the level of damage done to the organization exceeds tens of times what it has experienced so far by Israel, and internal rehabilitation is becoming an increasingly difficult task. A significant portion of Hamas’s tunnel network in the Gaza Strip has been destroyed, as have many of its buildings and infrastructure; more than half of the terrorist operatives (over 20,000) have been killed, wounded or taken prisoner; its senior operatives are being killed at a slow but safe pace, with Mohammed Dief and Ismail Haniya, two of the organization’s most senior officials, in the past month alone. Israel controls much of the territory inside the Gaza Strip, including the Netzarim corridor (which crosses it in two) and the Philadelphi route (which prevents smuggling from Egypt), thereby preventing Hamas from creating effective control over the territory. The damage is most evident in the rocket array of Hamas, which is almost completely depleted and hardly threatening Israel; Israel’s air defense can be almost entirely directed to the other fronts.
Israeli aggression
Israel has lost much of its fears to the world and to its enemies. This is especially evident in the decision to carry out the operation in Rafah against enormous international pressure – and to a large extent, the very continuation of the war despite the increasing global criticism. Israel attacks Yemen, Beirut, Tehran, and wherever its enemies are. Of course, it does not always attack and does not wreak war – but in situations in need, Israel no longer hesitates to act in accordance with its own interests. To a great extent, perhaps the feeling is that we no longer have much to lose – and also that this is the right approach to maintain existence in the Middle East.
The Israeli endurance
Who would have thought that the population of Israel, a westernized and sensitive to loss population, would have survived such a long war? The reservists continue to come en masse, the aid and volunteer bodies continue to pump in full force, and most importantly, most of Israeli society supports the war and understands its need, even if there are serious disagreements about its management and internal priorities. Internal unity is also largely maintained, despite the prominence of extremists on both sides in public discourse and politics – and on the Israeli street there is still a sense of responsibility, carrying a burden, and an understanding that we live in a historical period in which our actions will be carefully examined.
Disaster prevention
In the meantime, Israel has been able to avoid horror scenarios that were heard at the beginning of the war: The Israeli economy is still functioning properly, and is able to carry the burden of war on its shoulders; in the Gaza Strip, despite repeated threats, there has not yet been a real humanitarian crisis that would justify international involvement; the world has not turned against us, and many countries are still cooperating with us, militarily and economically; we remain part of the family of nations, as expressed in the Olympics currently taking place; Our enemies, despite their threats, have not yet reached a state of “unity of arenas” and have not yet inflicted significant damage to Israel; Israeli Arabs are keeping quiet, and Judea and Samaria Arabs are not rebelling; there has not been a wave of escape / significant decline / departure; and law enforcement authorities are still functioning. This is not a guarantee that such things will not happen, but in the meantime, we are in a pretty good situation.
Look to the future
The most important understanding, after 300 days of war, is that there are many more stages before us. Hamas must finally collapse; the remaining hostages must return to their homes; and the northern front must be dealt with as well, and the far fronts (Iran and Yemen) must be restrained – when there is an understanding that this is an existential issue and not a privileged one. We have a long way to go, and it will not be simple, but after 300 days of war, Israeli endurance has become accustomed, and Israeli patience has not waned. The residents of Israel are facing reality, and their eyes are on the future, their fists clenched and their eyes full of determination. Better days will come, and we will work hard, and we will now go through what needs to be passed, to bring them forth.
