Quiet will not be met with quiet

Israel must implement a unilateral ceasefire. We cannot accept Hamas’ demands for any kind of involvement in Judea, Samaria, or Jerusalem.

By  Vice Adm. (ret.) Eliezer Marom, ISRAEL HAYOM       05-20-2021 16:06

When the current round of violence broke out, it was a total surprise. It wasn’t just the firing of rockets at Jerusalem but Hamas’ ability to set additional arenas on fire. The rioting inside Israel in addition to the events caught the police off guard, making the surprise all that greater. Thankfully, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has an interest in maintaining quiet and preventing Hamas from recording any victories in Judea and Samaria. This is also an opportunity for Israel to bolster its ties to Abbas and weaken Hamas as a result.

Within 48 hours, the Israel Defense Forces had recovered and embarked on an organized plan that has proven very efficient. This plan relies largely on aerial assaults that ultimately do a great deal of damage to Hamas and its infrastructure – including manufacturing, underground tunnels, maritime infrastructure, its rocket arsenal, command centers, and launch pads, among other things. The IDF, and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi in particular, should be commended for the detailed planning and excellent execution of the campaign.

The IDF has had less success with its efforts to harm Hamas operatives of all ranks, apparently one of the disadvantages of launching strikes solely from the air, and taking out rocket launch pads. I think the IDF would agree its achievements on these fronts have been insufficient. After all, the number of terrorists killed is an important parameter in any enemy leadership’s understanding they have failed. We must improve on this ability in the future.

From a defense perspective, the IDF has had phenomenal success, to my mind. This is thanks to, first of all, the Iron Dome defense system, and the man I would like to take the opportunity to thank for its development, my friend, Brig. Gen. (ret.) Daniel Gold. The subterranean wall that blocked Hamas’ attack tunnels is another important achievement. In essence, in an organized manner, we have taken two of Hamas’ strategic abilities from the terrorist organization: the rockets and the attack tunnels. This is an incredible achievement. In addition, the incredible actions of Israel’s navy that neutralized Hamas’ ability to launch naval commando operations and operations involving autonomous underwater means stripped Hamas of its offensive capabilities.

The navy has done an impressive job in this campaign, and its achievements are many. Firstly, over the years, the navy has improved its abilities immeasurably. It has offensive capabilities that allow it to hit a window on land from a great distance away with advanced missiles, some of which can “wander” and attack independently, as well as heavier and more precise missiles that can damage tougher targets.

The navy spends a lot of time along the shore and can immediately strike a target that should suddenly present itself. Let’s just say that the elite Shayetet 13 naval commandos have also improved their capabilities, and leave it at that. All of these capabilities have been activated in a sophisticated manner and done serious damage to Hamas’ naval commandos. On the defensive side, the navy operates a security system that continuously controls Gaza’s shores through sophisticated technologies and an array of fast and high-quality vessels operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week that have thwarted all of Hamas’ attempted attacks thus far.

How do we finish the campaign, and where do we go from here? It seems that all things considered, we will need to implement a unilateral ceasefire that doesn’t involve any clear understandings between the sides. We cannot accept Hamas’ demands for any kind of involvement in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem, and we cannot agree to a situation in which Hamas holds on to the bodies of our fallen soldiers and captives. This is an unacceptable situation. The ceasefire will allow Israel to continue to undermine Hamas’ build-up and harm both its military and civilian leaders. Their blood is on their own hands, and they should know that the ceasefire does not mean Israel will ignore the continued build-up of Hamas.

At the same time, we will need to engage in diplomatic activity so that countries around the world recognize Israel’s right to defend itself. Of course, Israel must be involved in an international solution to Gaza that improves the quality of life in the coastal enclave. Quiet will not be met with quiet. The quiet we have in mind will prevent Gaza’s military build-up and see the return of Israeli captives and fallen soldiers. Such quiet will be met with quiet and Israel’s assistance in Gaza’s rehabilitation. You could call it a Marshall Plan for Gaza, which begins first and foremost with restoring water and electricity to its residents. There are several ideas in the works, and we will make more of this known later on.