The concept of victory has become increasingly politicized, particularly the notion of an “absolute victory.” At the same time, the term “decisive defeat” is widely used but rarely defined with precision. This article examines the concept of victory through a professional, military-strategic lens, differentiating it from decisive defeat. The distinction is essential for understanding Israel’s achievements in the war against Hamas and for framing public expectations, especially regarding scenarios in which Hamas may continue to exist...
The United States is determined to advance the implementation of President Donald Trump’s framework to end the war and reshape the Gaza Strip without Hamas, and with the area demilitarized of military and terrorist capabilities. The gap between the strategic objective and the challenges of implementation indicates that the success of the framework will require coercive and sustained American involvement, close coordination with Israel, and persuasive US efforts to convince moderate Arab states to take an active role in stabilizing,...
A pressing question concerns the extent to which the Gulf states are prepared to send forces to stabilize and rebuild the Gaza Strip. Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which possess significant economic and diplomatic leverage, are setting strict conditions for their involvement: the disarmament of Hamas and the transfer of its powers to the Palestinian Authority (PA). The UAE also demands a fundamental reform of the PA. These conditions may reflect a lack of real willingness to become involved, an understanding that Hamas cannot be...
The future of the Trump Plan regarding the “day after” in the Gaza Strip is ambiguous and fragile. The first phase of the plan has been implemented only partially (the return of all living hostages and some of the deceased, and the implementation of IDF deployment arrangements within an expanded security perimeter—the Yellow Line), while Hamas retains control in the heart of the cities, acts to suppress any expression of opposition to its rule, and violates the agreement by dragging its feet on releasing the remaining deceased...
This interactive map illustrates the IDF withdrawal line (the “Yellow Line”), major Hamas violations, and the local factions and clans currently clashing with Hamas. The platform includes a range of interactive tools, such as switchable basemaps, drawing and annotation, distance and area measurements, as well as map-sharing functions. The map is updated regularly and reflects the most accurate information available, based on open-source intelligence (OSINT) and media reporting.
As the war in the Gaza Strip continues, Israel’s international legitimacy is eroding, its global standing is deteriorating, the IDF is being worn down, and divisions within Israeli society are widening. Escaping this deadlock requires a paradigmatic shift that moves beyond the narrow thinking of only two options (as defined by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu): either a full occupation of the Strip or capitulation to Hamas, which would remain in power, in exchange for the release of the hostages. However, there is another option—one...
The impression emerging from the widespread discussions in the media and on Arab satellite channels not identified with the Islamist stream is that, in launching the war on October 7, 2023, Hamas essentially dug a pit for itself and for other resistance movements across the Middle East. The growing anger toward Hamas—given the immense human suffering in the Gaza Strip, the destruction it has caused, and its failure to achieve the goals it claimed to be pursuing—has led most critics, including those close to the organization, to...
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.
This interactive map presents an up-to-date picture of the situation in the West Bank since the outbreak of the war in Gaza. The map includes geospatial data on IDF operations, Palestinian terror attacks, arrests, protests, settler violence, and economic indicators—at the district and municipal levels.
The data is updated continuously and as accurately as possible, based on intelligence assessments from open sources and verified field reports.
This is the first in a series of maps; additional topics will follow, contributing to a...
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...
