WASHINGTON D.C.–Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced today the second phase of Israeli’s war with Hamas, started Oct. 7 when Hamas terrorists crossed into Israel and slaughtered 1,400 Israeli civilians, 260 attending Nova Music Festival in the Southern Negev desert. Nentanyahu described Hamas attacks as the worst in Israeli history since the Holocaust, where some 6 million Jews were exterminated by Germany’s Nazi regime. Most U.N. and Arab officials see no difference between past Hamas attacks over the last 17 years when Hamas seized the Gaza Strip by force from the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority. Starting four wars with Israel and countless uprisings, Hamas is committed to the fantasy of destroying Israel and killing all Jews. Had Hamas renounced violence, recognized Israel and worked on peace, the Gaza Strip would not be the crowded, dilapidated, impoverished enclave that houses some 2.3 Palestinians.
Announcing the start of the ground invasion, Netanyahu signaled to the world that the next phase had already begun for at least two weeks, where the Israeli Defense Forces [IDF] were already preparing the groundwork inside Gaza. Israel has a lot of work to do to eradicate the elaborate tunnel system used by Hamas as bunkder but, more importantly, lauching areas for lmore terrorist attacks. Oct. 7 shocked Israel because the IDF were asleep at the switch, not affording the Gaza border region with sufficient intel and troops to stave off an invasion. Hamas’ invasion wreaked horrific damage in a short time, killing 1,400 and taking some 229 hostagegs, many children, women and elderly. Hamas thought holding hostages would protect leadership from a certain Israeli military response Netanyahu said the Oct. 7 slaughter was a continuation of the Nazi Holocaust.
Whatever the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, 80-year-old President Joe Biden has backed Israel in removing Hamas from power in Gaza. U.N. and Arab officials talk only of Palestinian casualties, not realizing that the Hamas terrorist group crossed a line in committing genocide against the Jewish state. Netanyahu won’t accept the U.N. or Arab state’s explanation for why Ssole purpose of eradicating the Jewish State. Palestinians old narrative started with the 1964 Palestine Liberation Organization [PLO] Yasser Arafat to rally Arab support for a war of annihilation against Israel. Arafat fought with six other Arab states to destroy Israel in the 1967 Six Day War, watching Palestinians and six Arab states vanquished by the IDF. Arafat worked until his Nov 11, 2004 death for peace with Israel, leaving Hamas to continue battering the Israeli government until his death.
Netanyahu sees Hamas collaboration with Iran as a continuation of Hitler’s Final Solution to murder all European Jews in WW II. Iran continues to threated to “wipe Israel off the map,” trying to whip up support for a new war against Israel. No legitimate Arab state wants war with Israel. Whatever happens in Gaza, no other Arab state wants to repeat past mistakes, going to war against Israel. Palestinianss’s Diaspora chief Khaled Meshaal called recently on all Arab states to join the Palestinian battle against Israel. No other legitimate Arab state takes up the Palestinian cause of destroying Israel and killing all Jews. That train left the station back in 1948 with Israel’s independence but certainly in the the 1967 Six Day War. Hamas continues to promote the fantasy of destroying Israel and killing all Jews. Oct. 7 reminded Netanyahu that there can be no peace with Hamas in power.
Hamas’ Ministry of Health continues to fabrucate more lies about civilian casualties, exaggerating the numbers to turn global opinion against Israel. IDF officials announced that Hamas uses Gaza’s hospitals as military command and control centers, knowing that the IDF has been told to avoid more civilian casualties, especiallyin hospitals. IDF believes that many of Hamas tunnels are under hospitals to protect them against Israeli bombardments. Announcing the ground war today, Netanyahu knows that Israeli forces must go inside Hamas command-amd-control centers, even if it means Gaza hospitals. Netanyahu said the Hamas War would take time, but would not be pressured by the U.N. or Arab states tor a ceasefire until Hamas agrees to leave Gaza. So far, Hamas continues to fire rockets into Israel, proving they’re still in the fight against Israel.
No other Mideast state other than Iran has threatened to widen the conflict. Biden order the U.S. military to hit Iranian Republican Guard targets in Syria, in response to Iran firing on U.S. positions. Iran threatened to widen the conflict if Israel went ahead with its Gaza land invasion. Well, that operation has started and so far Iranian-based Hezbollah in Lebanon has not tried to cross into Israel or fire more rockets. Lebanon has asked Hezbollah to stay out of the Gaza conflict, fearing that Israel would start hitting Lebanon. Hamas has hunkered down in its elaborate tunnel system, knowing that the IDF is coming for them in the near future. Growing concerns about some 229 hostages has not deterred Netanyahu from proceeding with the next phase of the Gaza War. Biden and Netanyahu agree that Hamas must go if Israel has any chance of future security and peace.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
