JERUSALEM. Israel set an ambitious goal: to destroy Hamas. The Biden administration initially supported this objective, supplying Israel with considerable weaponry and vocal backing. However, nearly eight months into the conflict, cracks have emerged between the close allies over what defeating Hamas actually entails.
Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden stated that the militant group was no longer capable of launching an attack on Israel akin to the Oct. 7 assault that triggered the war. He suggested it was time for the fighting to end. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and far-right ministers strongly disagree.
Where the U.S. seeks a quick end to the fighting, Israel’s leadership appears determined to push onward. Here’s how the leaders define the destruction of Hamas:
BIDEN: NO ABILITY TO POSE A THREAT
President Biden, on Friday, said it was time to end the Israel-Hamas war, signaling that the objective of destroying Hamas had been met as the militant group was “no longer capable” of carrying out a large-scale attack on Israel like the one on Oct. 7. That day, Hamas militants stunned Israel with a major assault, killing about 1,200 people and taking approximately 250 hostages back to Gaza amid rocket fire targeting Israeli cities and towns.
In the nearly eight months since then, Israel claims its air and ground offensive has significantly depleted Hamas’ military capabilities, killing 15,000 militants—half of Hamas’ fighting force—and wounding thousands more. It also asserts that it has destroyed a significant portion of Gaza’s tunnel network, command centers, and rocket launchers. Biden appeared to believe this was sufficient to meet Israel’s objectives and urged both sides to reach an agreement to release the remaining 85 hostages and the bodies of around 40 more, for an extended ceasefire.
NETANYAHU: ELIMINATE REMAINING MILITARY AND GOVERNING ABILITY
In response, Netanyahu insisted that Israel would not agree to a permanent ceasefire until “the destruction of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages, and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.” The Israeli army maintains that the eradication of Hamas is incomplete, with battalions of militants remaining in Rafah and fighting still ongoing in northern Gaza. Although Hamas has continued to launch rockets into Israel, their intensity has significantly diminished since the war’s early months. Netanyahu acknowledges that it may be impossible to fully eliminate the ideology of Hamas, which took control of Gaza in 2007 after winning legislative elections against the rival Fatah party. He noted that Hamas has survived despite a 16-year blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt and four previous wars.
“Hamas has to be eliminated, not as an idea,” Netanyahu said in late March. “Nazism was not destroyed as an idea in World War II, but Nazis don’t govern Germany.”
ISRAEL’S FAR RIGHT: ERADICATE HAMAS AND RESETTLE GAZA
Far-right leaders within Israel’s ultranationalist government have staunchly rejected Biden’s ceasefire proposal, insisting that Israel must continue its war in Gaza until Hamas is completely eradicated. Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have both threatened to leave Netanyahu’s government if he endorses Biden’s proposal, a move that could collapse the coalition.
Smotrich stated that agreeing to a ceasefire would amount to a humiliation for Israel and a surrender. He argued that increased military pressure is “the only language understood in the Middle East.” Ben-Gvir has called for the “voluntary” emigration of Palestinians from Gaza and for a return of Israeli settlements, which were unilaterally pulled out in 2005.
At a resettlement conference in May, Ben-Gvir proclaimed that the only way to ensure “the problem won’t come back” was to “return to Gaza now.” He chanted, “Return home! Return to our holy land!”
The disagreement between the U.S. and Israel underscores the complexities of achieving peace in the region. While Biden seeks a swift resolution, Israeli leaders remain committed to a prolonged campaign to secure their objectives. The upcoming negotiations will be crucial in determining the future of the Gaza conflict and the broader Middle East peace process.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
