In the war in the Gaza Strip, Israel faces a choice between three strategic alternatives: continuing to pursue a ceasefire agreement to secure the release of some of the hostages while adhering to the goal of dismantling and disarming Hamas; agreeing to end the war under Hamas’s terms in exchange for the release of all the hostages; or occupying the Strip and imposing a temporary military administration, with the hope that this will also result in the release of the hostages. Each of these options involves significant costs alongside...
The long duration of the campaign in the Gaza Strip, the difficulty in achieving a decisive outcome, and the immense scale of Israeli forces involved—all stem directly from the unique underground challenge in this arena. This has significant implications, not only for the current state of the war in the Gaza Strip but also for the situation that will emerge after the war.
Once the Israeli-Iranian exchange of blows ended impressively, the question of continuing the war in the Gaza Strip has returned to the center of public controversy in Israel, inextricably tied to the issue of the remaining hostages still held by Hamas. Disagreements and differing predictions about the future—always marked by uncertainty—are legitimate. So too are the value-based differences that guide decision-making, for which no objective resolution exists—only a decision about what norms to adopt and what not to, after weighing...
In light of the dramatic shift in the balance of power in the region following the confrontation between Israel and Iran—the restoration of Israeli deterrence; the open motivation of US President Donald Trump to bring an end to the war; the weakening of the resistance axis and its non-state actors; Hamas’s weakened and isolated state, dependent on the mercy of mediator states; the willingness of Arab states to engage and assist in stabilizing Gaza without Hamas rule—a window of opportunity has emerged to close the circle of war that...
This policy paper outlines the recommended strategy for ending the war in the Gaza Strip while fully achieving its objectives and improving Israel’s long-term strategic posture. The majority of the principles and proposed course of action presented in this document align with the Egyptian–Arab proposal for ending the war, which was presented in April 2025 and has not been discussed by the Israeli government. It is proposed that the principles of this plan serve as a basis for negotiations As part of these negotiations, the following...
The Israeli government has authorized the IDF to finalize preparations for “Gideon’s Chariots”—a plan to conquer the Gaza Strip and defeat Hamas, concentrate the population of the Strip in its southern region, and encourage emigration from it. The execution of this plan would come at a heavy cost: the killing of hostages and the loss of information regarding their whereabouts; additional casualties within the IDF; a decreasing likelihood of achieving normalization with Saudi Arabia; a deepening of internal divisions in Israel due to...
After approximately a year and a half of war in the Gaza Strip, Israel stands at a crossroads and must formulate a relevant strategy regarding the future of the Strip. It faces a rather grim range of alternatives, all problematic in their implications and feasibility: encouraging “voluntary emigration”—an option whose strategic consequences have not been thoroughly examined in Israel and whose feasibility is low; occupying the Strip and imposing prolonged military rule—while this may severely weaken Hamas, it does not guarantee its...
On October 7, 2023, Israel was subjected to a large-scale surprise attack launched by Hamas and additional terrorist organizations from the Gaza Strip. During the assault, approximately 6,000 terrorists infiltrated Israeli communities near the border and IDF bases in the area, while 4,300 rockets were simultaneously launched into Israel’s civilian hinterland. The attack resulted in the murder of 1,163 Israelis and the abduction of 251 others.
Since then, The IDF has dismantled Hamas’ military capabilities—striking over 44,000...
While mainstream Israeli media has presented Hamas’s propaganda—which highlights the triumph of jihadist ideology, Israel’s humiliation, the release of Palestinian prisoners, the disruption of normalization with Saudi Arabia, and the group’s military and civilian resilience in Gaza—Palestinian social media in Gaza and the West Bank tells a different, more complex story. This discourse includes harsh criticism of Hamas, fears that Gaza’s devastation could extend to the West Bank, and even calls for the Palestinian Authority (PA) to...
Israel did not achieve its primary war objectives against Hamas—namely, the complete dismantling of its military and governmental capabilities. Despite suffering significant losses that outweigh its achievements, Hamas has managed to survive. Therefore, at this stage, Israel should focus on two key efforts: finalizing the framework for the return of the hostages—an imperative rooted in Jewish tradition and its moral significance in Israeli society; and leveraging the notion of expelling Gaza’s residents, as proposed by US President...
The deal to release the hostages is reshaping the course of the military campaign in the Gaza Strip but leaves Israel facing complex strategic challenges. While the agreement may achieve the objective of bringing the hostages home, it also highlights the failure to eliminate Hamas. Israel has not succeeded in establishing an alternative to the organization during the long months of war. As a result, Hamas will continue to pose both security and civilian challenges. Compared to the options such as imposing military governance,...
