Half a year into the war, which is undoubtedly the longest of all the Israeli wars since its establishment (wars that include manoeuvring – that is, excluding the war of attrition), one can sigh that the end is not yet in sight; but one can also look back and review the challenges we have succeeded, the achievements, and examine the processes expected for Israel to follow.
The day of the outbreak of the war, October 7, was by far the most difficult day in Israel’s history, and also the deadliest– with close to a thousand civilians killed, over two hundred soldiers killed in battles, and of course – some 230 kidnapped into the Gaza Strip. But the recovery from this first blow was sharp and strong, when within two days the Hamas attack was completely repulsed, and within three weeks the IDF began to maneuver inside the Gaza Strip.
This maneuver was directed against five Hamas brigades, including some 30-40 thousand fighters, and also against the smaller terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. The maneuver began in the northern Gaza Strip, and later the focus moved to Khan Yunis; up to this point, 3 of the brigades were destroyed, and at least 12 thousand terrorists were killed, along with some 20 thousand Gazan civilians, and at the cost of more than 300 IDF soldiers. The numbers are difficult, but indicate that this is one of the most impressive and effective manoeuvres carried out in modern military history.
Inwardly, the war brought together ranks like Israel had not experienced since for a long time, with the unity government established at the beginning of the war still functioning, and the demonstrations almost disappearing and returning only recently. While some of the old political discourse has returned, and there are challenges on the horizon (such as the draft law), these are mainly on the political level; on the simple civil level, brotherhood is still visible. Economically, the market has shown strength and the ability to hold out even under the burden of reserve duty and budgetary pressure – but these are not guarantees that the situation will continue in this way for the long term.
Internationally, there is no doubt that the situation seems more difficult – both from a security standpoint, when war in the north or against Iran is on the horizon, and also diplomatically, with the world’s support for Israel slowly fading, and even American support beginning to become conditional; But it is important to remember that these are not a fate, but depend significantly on us and the way we play the game. If our leaders are wise enough to do so, Israel will be able to exit the campaign and most of its achievements will be in its hands.
The goals of the war, with which Israel went to battle – the overthrow of the Hamas regime, the long-term removal of the threat from the Gaza Strip, and the return of the hostages – have been achieved so far only partialy, and there is still a long way to go before they are fully achieved. Maybe another six months, maybe much more. In addition, other unofficial targets were added – the return of the residents of the north to their homes, the removal of the Hezbollah threat, the removal of the Iranian threat (with all its proxies), and the restoration of Israel’s economic and international relations to their proper course. The State of Israel has already done wonders in its 76 years of existence – and this period will undoubtedly be considered the most challenging in the future, but as one that shaped and shaped the image of Israel over a long period of time.
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