Between Political Deals and Terror Buildup: The IDF's Dilemma on the Front | Guy Azriel

The IDF is intensifying strikes in southern Lebanon and Gaza, while Hamas and Hezbollah exploit political agreements to build up their strength. The forces are stuck in a dilemma: their mission is to defeat the enemy, but their freedom of action is limited. The pilot to bring the Lebanese army in is progressing slowly, and in Gaza, Hamas is deepening its grip on the population. Heavy pressure is being applied on Israel to cooperate with the agreement.

In the Middle East, there is no vacuum: when terrorist organizations gain breathing room under the cover of political agreements, they exploit it. This is now happening in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, where the IDF is increasing the intensity of strikes in parallel with political moves—some coordinated with Israel and some imposed on it from outside. Hamas and Hezbollah, the arms of the Iranian ayatollah regime, show no change in their murderous ideology or war aims. Both organizations are caught between heavy military and political pressure and an opportunity to challenge Israel and disrupt Washington's regional peace initiatives. In Lebanon, the IDF still holds the buffer zone in the south of the country under a fragile ceasefire, leaving forces in a static position and exposed to attack. The pilot to bring the Lebanese army in to disarm Hezbollah is progressing slowly and in a very limited manner, mainly due to past failures in relying on the Lebanese government to restrain the organization. In Gaza, IDF forces are deployed along the "yellow line," while Hamas deepens its grip on the population beyond the line through arrests, interrogations, and torture. This activity is carried out under the auspices of understandings with the Peace Council and the mediators Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, with heavy pressure on Israel to cooperate with the agreement. At the heart of this dilemma stand IDF soldiers and commanders. While their operational mission is to defeat the enemy, in practice they are subjected to severe restrictions on their freedom of action in hostile territory—no moving forward and no retreating. Under current conditions, it is doubtful we will see an end to either of these fronts in the coming months—or even years.