Publications

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...

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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,...

Beyond the immediate risk of releasing terrorists from Israeli prisons and allowing residents and Hamas militants to return to northern Gaza, the State of Israel is now facing a weighty challenge: preventing Hamas from rebuilding its strength amidst the destruction in Gaza during the current ceasefire. Israel must develop a robust contingency plan that will help mitigate risks if the ceasefire collapses or the hostage release plan is not fully implemented.

A series of operational successes provides Israel with the ideal opportunity to closely consider its exit strategy. Now, with these achievements accumulating, it is the right time to examine the question of ending the military campaign and securing its diplomatic benefits to improve Israel’s national security in every respect. In recent weeks, Israel has achieved a series of successes, particularly on the northern front and in the Gaza Strip. Some of these achievements can be attributed to chance, such as the elimination of Hamas...

Israel has utilized its military action in the Gaza Strip and has successfully dismantled the military arm of Hamas. However, it has not achieved the release of the hostages, and it has not destroyed—or at least neutralized—Hamas’s control over Gaza. In response, several generals in the IDF reserves recently proposed a plan for taking control of northern Gaza, evacuating the civilian population, and laying siege to the area (the “Generals’ Plan”). While the plan contributes to the ongoing debate about the future control of Gaza, it...