Will Hamas Be Better Prepared during its Next Confrontation With Israel? Insights on Hamas' Lessons from Operation Protective Edge (original) (raw)

Israel deterring Hamas : tactical successes, strategic challenges

2016

Deterrence has played a large role in Israel’s management of its conflict with Hamas throughout three distinct periods (1987-2000, 2000-2007, 2007-present). To accomplish deterrence against an actor that has varied in form across distinct periods with different political contexts, it has utilized myriad forms of deterrence, some of which are not part of the everyday deterrence vocabulary elsewhere. After initial instability, each of the three distinct periods has so far featured extended periods of calm following Israeli tactical shifts and the establishment of new deterrence relationships. The shifts between periods themselves, however, have led relatively stable deterrence relationships previously established to collapse or become irrelevant. Explaining these shifts and illuminating the operation of deterrence during each of these periods is an integral part of the first aim of this thesis and is a primary focus of its body chapters. Israel’s myriad tactical successes have not thu...

Gaza 2014: Israel's Attrition vs Hamas' Exhaustion

Parameters, 2014

ABSTRACT: While Hamas adopted a strategy of psychological exhaustion of Israel's civilians, Israel employed physical attrition of Hamas' military capabilities. This article examines how these strategies inter acted with each other, assesses the strategic gains and losses on each side, and suggests some lessons relevant for American strategists. ********** Operation "Protective Edge" is the Israel Defense Forces' name for its latest military operation against Hamas and other terrorist organizations in Gaza during the months of July-August 2014. This article analyzes the competing strategies of Israel and Hamas in this specific bout of fighting and assesses how effective they were in achieving their political ends. By strategy we mean how each side attempted to optimize its physical and psychological use of violence in achieving its political goals. Strategy is the art of deciding what violent acts would best assist in bringing about one's political goal, and...

The Gaza War Strategic Analysis (2008-2009)

One can argue whether the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is a -war,‖ or should be seen as just one more tragic surge in violence in the decades-long struggle between Israel and the Palestinians. It is, however, the first major armed struggle between Israel and Hamas, as distinguished between Israel and the PLO and Fatah. It also is a case study in how Israeli capabilities have changed since the fighting with Hezbollah in 2006, and in the nature of asymmetric war between states and non-state actors.

Hamas-Israel War: A Brief Analysis of First Two Phases of War

European Scientific Journal, ESJ

At the end of 2023, the Middle East experienced some new challenges. Among these new challenges, one of the most important of them all is the Hamas-Israel war. After almost four months of war and no end in sight, there are now growing questions about whether Israel will be able to accomplish its stated goals in Gaza. The brutality of the Hamas’s attack on October 7, the extent of the cruel massacre, shocked both the Israeli society and foreign public opinion. To better understand the factors of Hamas's operational success, the strategic surprise attack on Israel from Gaza, on October 7, 2023, needs a thorough analysis to understand all its political, intelligence, and operational failures aspects. It goes without saying that many elements of Hamas's brutal but largely successful attack are still unknown. Taking this into account, this paper focuses on only three elements of the ongoing war. Firstly, based on the qualitative methodology of research, this study evaluates and highlights the political background of the bloodiest attack in modern Israel's history which happened on October 7, 2023. Secondly, using the research methodology of data collection and analysis, this paper seeks to answer the still open-ended question, how was Hamas able to attack a country which operates one of the best intelligence organizations in the world by an extreme surprise? Finally, by using the narrative and historical models of qualitative research and the available data, this paper focuses on assessing the first and second phases of the war. Furthermore, the study formulates conclusions regarding the expected directions of change in the Israeli security system and some aspects of regional security implications of the ongoing Hamas-Israeli conflict. The potential result of the current paper is to present the reasons for the ongoing Gaza conflict based on the historical background. In addition, it provides a primary analysis, based on currently available information, of the first two phases of the obviously protracted Hamas-Israel conflict for the benefit of the community of researchers, scholars, and academics.

Israel's Operation Protective Edge 2014: Assessment

• The Arab enclave of Gaza is controlled by the Palestinian organization Hamas and is a territory recognized by the United Nations as a parcel of the state of Palestine. The enclave shares a 13 kilometer (km) border with Egypt and a 59 km border with Israel.

Hamas: Charting a New Strategic Course of Action

Unlike in the past, the latest escalation of violence between Hamas and Israel is not another tactical and limited round. It is instead part of a new strategic direction taken by Hamas in an effort to capitalize on the circumstances created by the July 2 murder of a Palestinian youth, apparently by Jewish extremists, in Jerusalem. In so doing, Hamas intends to create a meaningful change in its difficult geopolitical, economic, and intra-Palestinian position. Consequently, it seems that the Israeli offer -"quiet will be answered by quiet" -expressed a misunderstanding of Hamas's aims, and of the change underway in the "internal grammar" of the rules of the game that have characterized previous rounds of Israel-Hamas conflict. Hamas does not desire quiet at the moment because, in the absence of any other option, it views the Israeli escalation -whether in the immediate term, in "Operation Protective Edge," or beyond -as an opportunity to break its diplomatic and economic isolation.

Israel’s Moment of Truth in Dealing with Hamas INSS

INSS Insight, 2021

Listen to this Israel's Moment of Truth in Dealing with Hamas? Hamas's strategic position seven months after Operation Guardian of the Walls is better than before, and the terrorist organization has become a more dangerous enemy. Hamas is now driven by a "dual resistance strategy" that seeks to preserve quiet in the Gaza Strip while consolidating a military infrastructure in the West Bank and southern Lebanon and organizing terrorist activity against Israel. Therefore, now is the time for Israel to take the initiative, at a moment that from its perspective is most auspicious, to wage an ongoing, critical attack on Hamas's military infrastructures in all its theaters of activityeven if this undermines the chances of reaching an arrangement

Decoding Israel's Gaza Strategy By Maj Gen Neeraj Bali, SM (Retd

Chanakya Forum

I dissect and decode Israel's strategy in the war against Hamas. Eight months after Hamas breached the ‘impregnable’ Israeli border defenses, Israel continues its response. The IDF has killed many Hamas terrorists, but challenges remain, including underground tunnels. Israel’s strategy aims for complete Hamas decimation and hostage recovery, ensuring safety and restoring public faith. However, disagreement persists on whether eliminating Hamas—an idea—through collateral damage is feasible. What are the implications of this strategy? How successful is Israel likely to be?

Asia Research Centre Brief 106: Potential implications of the Israel Hamas conflict

Asia Research Centre Brief, 2023

Our new Brief, authored by Kamil Wysokiński, focuses on the Israel-Hamas conflict which has been raging on for a month already. The probability that the Israel Defence Forces achieve their goals through a full-scale land offensive into the Gaza Strip is very low, Mr. Wysokiński points out in this text.