Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Friday directed the military to quickly prepare a comprehensive plan for the total defeat of Hamas in Gaza if ongoing ceasefire talks fail to secure the release of hostages by the time incoming US president Donald Trump enters the White House on January 20.
Katz said his instruction to present the plans came Thursday during a night assessment with Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and other top officers.
“We must not be drawn into a war of attrition that will cost us heavily and not lead to victory and the complete strategic defeat of Hamas and the end of the war in Gaza, while the hostages remain in the tunnels with their lives in danger and while they suffer severely,” Katz said.
The Israeli minister then asked the Army to “specify the issues that might make it difficult to carry out the plan, including the humanitarian issue and other issues, and leave it to the political echelon to make the necessary decisions,” according to a statement by his office.
He also “emphasized that the matter of the political solution to Gaza is not relevant to the issue of the plan and the activity required now, because no Arab or other party will take responsibility for managing civilian life in Gaza as long as Hamas is not completely crushed.”
It remains unclear what Israel means by “complete defeat.” Israel had set two main goals through its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip: The elimination of Hamas's military infrastructure and the end of the group’s rule in the Strip.
Israeli military correspondent for the Israeli Army Radio Doron Kadosh said Katz believes the army has not yet acted properly to defeat Hamas, and has been dragged into a war of attrition.
“It remains unclear what plan the Army will present to Katz with the aim of completely defeating Hamas. But in closed discussions, the Army clearly states that in the absence of an alternative to Hamas’ rule, it would be impossible to overthrow the Movement.”
According to Kadosh, the Army could possibly deploy three more military units in the Gaza Strip, with a mission to carry out a ground maneuver simultaneously in several areas.
Similar to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Katz believes there is currently no room for Israel to present an alternative to Hamas rule in Gaza.
The Israeli army fears that a plan to defeat Hamas based on deepening its ground maneuvers in areas in the middle of the Strip could lead to the deaths of hostages. Therefore, the army most likely would focus on changing its aid policy in the Strip.
Israel is considering limiting humanitarian aid to Gaza after Donald Trump comes into office later this month in a bid to deprive Hamas of resources, according to an Israeli official familiar with the matter.
Doha talks
Meanwhile in the Qatari capital, Doha, meditators are trying to push for a deal before the arrival of Trump, who warned that “all hell will break out in the Middle East” if Hamas does not release the hostages by the time he is inaugurated.
Sources say mediators are making real progress in reaching a deal, but some issues still need to be resolved.
The Israeli government's hostage and missing persons coordinator, Brig. Gen. Gal Hirsch said on Thursday that the deal being discussed would include the return of all the hostages. However, he noted that it would be implemented in stages.
The official explained that the discussions that are currently being conducted pertain only to the first stage of the deal.
Sources familiar with the details of the deal told Yedioth Ahronoth the negotiations are not at an impasse despite the challenges.
They noted that talks are progressing, but every resolved issue leads Hamas to reopen previously agreed matters.
Additionally, communication difficulties between Hamas’ external leadership and its de facto leader in Gaza Mohammed Sinwar are reportedly complicating the process.
The newspaper said Hamas has so far refused to provide a list of live hostages and mediators are working to bridge this gap.
Israel continues to insist that no progress can be made without such a list.
Moreover, the newspaper wrote, Hamas' refusal to disclose in advance who among the hostages on the list provided by Israel to mediators in July is alive or dead is seen by officials as a tactic to maximize Palestinian prisoner releases in exchange for as few live hostages as possible.
Conversely, a senior Palestinian official told Reuters that Israel has introduced a new condition, insisting on maintaining a one-kilometer-wide military presence in the eastern and southern parts of Gaza, along the Philadelphi Corridor.
“This will hinder residents from returning to their homes and constitutes a backtrack on previously agreed terms,” the official claimed.
Yedioth Ahronoth said mediators and Israel now hope the presence of Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff in Qatar might inject fresh momentum, pressuring Hamas to realize that Trump is serious about his threats against them if the hostages aren’t released.
