IDF has its boot on Hamas’ throat but Washington is its biggest barrier to success, warns former British Army officer

This article summarizes key points from a recent Tablet Magazine article, contrasting it with another recent article from the New York Times. For a summary of that article, click here. 

In a recent article in Tablet magazine, former British Army Officer Andrew Fox argued that contrary to the assessment of many in the West, the IDF is winning the war against Hamas and needs to be allowed to finish that job. 

Fox began by acknowledging the accepted political and media analysis in the West that says the IDF is bogged down in Gaza and barely has anything to show for its efforts over the past 10 months. 

The New York Times published a story echoing these exact sentiments within days of Fox's piece.

“Israel is not winning. Hamas remains intact. The Israeli government has no plan. The very notion of a military victory is illusory.” These are the slogans used to characterize the war, according to Fox. 

He specifically called out the recent CNN analysis which argued that only three out of Hamas’ original 24 battalions are “destroyed.” 

However, Fox argued that the West has misunderstood how the IDF is fighting the war. 

“The IDF’s way of war is not the West’s way of war. It is not designed to carry out protracted campaigns of attrition. It is a raiding army,” Fox contended.

He then proceeded to identify several goals and operational phases of the war to argue for why he believes the IDF is, in fact, achieving its goals. 

The IDF’s operational goals are to dismantle Hamas’ military and administrative capabilities, ensure that Gaza cannot be used to harm Israel again and rescue the hostages. 

Fox wrote that the IDF is currently focusing on the extensive network of underground tunnels in Gaza and eliminating key leadership in the Hamas organization. The operation involves ground raids and airstrikes that Israel's leadership expects will take between six to 18 months. 

The current conflict is an urban war against a well-organized terror army relying on a strategy of human shields and embedding within the population, he wrote, which is distinct from Western conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Fox outlined several “operational phases” of the IDF's strategy: 

   - Phase A: Defense against Hamas’ initial incursion and civilian evacuations. 

   - Phases B1-B2: Breaking into Gaza City, targeting Hamas' power base. 

   - Phase B3: First cease-fire and hostage return. 

   - Phases B4-B5: Continued operations in Khan Younis and northern Gaza, while entering Rafah and clearing the Philadelphi Corridor of tunnels. [This is the current phase.] 

   - Phase C: Ongoing dismantling of Hamas capabilities through intelligence-led raids. 

   - Phase D: Creating and stabilizing alternative governance structures and maintaining IDF operational freedom. 

Fox noted that the IDF faces significant challenges due to Hamas’ use of civilian infrastructure as human shields and international pressure on Israel to minimize civilian casualties. 

Despite these difficulties, he argued, the IDF has made significant progress, including the elimination of approximately 17,000 Hamas operatives, taking out multiple high-level commanders, and seizing control of key areas like the Philadelphi Corridor.

These actions led to improved operational freedom and disrupted Hamas' command structure. 

However, Fox said that ongoing international demands for a ceasefire are detrimental to Israel's goals, potentially allowing Hamas to survive and influence the outcome of the war.

He further noted that Western governments consistently target their criticism at Israel, despite Hamas’ repeated human rights and war crimes violations. 

The Israeli government, under intense pressure from Washington and other Western nations, attempts to press on militarily while also engaging in diplomatic efforts. 

According to Fox’s assessment, the IDF is only midway through this complicated strategy, however, it is moving more quickly, with more significant results and fewer civilian casualties than any other military. 

He concluded: “The only thing that can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, and ensure the survival of the Iranian-backed Palestinian terrorist group on Israel’s border, is Washington.”