The War in Gaza May End Soon, but Not the Fighting

Key Findings:

In this op-ed, the author discusses the ways in which Israel should conduct security moving forward after the Israel-Hamas war, specifically when it comes to Gaza. He frames his point based off of the outcome of Operation Defensive Shield in 2002, which was enacted by then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in response to terrorism in the country. Security measures were put in place, including raids into the West Bank to neutralize potential terror threats. 

Due to the IDF’s presence in Gaza following the war, a path has opened to ensuring security in a similar way to Defensive Shield. There is now a possibility to continue to conduct security checks and raids of weapons and other potential Hamas-linked threats inside of Gaza, just like in the West Bank. 

Even when the fighting stops, Hamas’ ideology will continue to be a threat. Successful operations of counterterrorism are results of Operation Defensive Shield, and an offensive plan to prevent Hamas from re-establishing their infrastructure is what needs to come out of the war. Israel must enact these security measures to keep the peace, regardless of international pressures.