“Incredibly difficult situation”
Expert does not expect Israel to win militarily
October 9, 2023, 7:04 p.m
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The Israeli counterattacks are ongoing because of the massive attacks by Hamas and its allies. But how far will the state-of-the-art army go? Expert Bronwen Maddox does not believe in a military victory. The biggest problem is the taking of hostages.
Because of the numerous hostages held by the Islamist Hamas, one expert does not expect Israel to achieve a comprehensive military victory. “If there were no hostages, Israel would be in a completely different position. But there are. And the pressure to bring these hostages home safely is so great that I cannot see a purely military response,” said the London boss Chatham House Think Tank, Bronwen Maddox. Israel will attack Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip and besiege the area, Maddox said in Liverpool. “But I can’t see how they’re going to resolve this militarily.”
What is necessary is the mediation of another country, said the think tank director. Türkiye has already offered and Egypt is also an option. Israel has probably not yet decided how it will proceed. “This is an incredibly difficult situation for Israel,” Maddox said. There are loud calls for an invasion of Gaza. However, many warned of high casualty rates both among Palestinian civilians and within their own ranks.
Hamas kidnapped dozens of Israelis and foreigners as hostages to Gaza in its surprise terrorist attack on Saturday morning. By cutting off supplies to the Gaza Strip, Israel is obviously hoping to turn Palestinians against Hamas, Maddox said. “But we already had that, and the Palestinians didn’t want or couldn’t put that pressure on Hamas.”
Israel has already vowed in the past to destroy Hamas. “It’s very hard to destroy an organization that, by its own standards, has just had a great success,” Maddox said. Even if Israel manages to eliminate some leaders, that does not amount to destruction.