Eliminating Hamas money changers is not enough: the war's 'Israelbluff' continues | Avi Ashkenazi

A commentary column by Avi Ashkenazi examining the state of fighting on three fronts: Gaza, Lebanon, and Judea and Samaria. The author argues that the IDF has not fulfilled its overarching mission of destroying Hamas, and that the fighting has transformed into a defensive battle. The Central Command is preparing for a particularly busy week during the Sukkot holiday, with concerns over friction incidents. In Lebanon, Hezbollah is trying to reorganize after a blow it suffered.

A commentary column by Avi Ashkenazi in Maariv examining the state of fighting on three fronts: Gaza, Lebanon, and Judea and Samaria. The author argues that the IDF has not fulfilled the overarching mission it set for itself—to destroy Hamas—and that the fighting in the Strip has transformed into a defensive battle. The soldiers are conducting a defensive battle on three fronts, with challenges including enemy initiative, routine, and spatial stagnation. The author notes that the IDF understands that Hamas is not going anywhere and does not intend to abandon its ideology of destroying Israel. The Central Command is preparing for a particularly busy week during the Sukkot holiday, with hundreds of thousands of visitors expected in the West Bank and settlement events in northern Samaria and the southern Hebron Hills. The IDF fears friction incidents and has instructed to increase troop deployment on routes. On the Lebanon front, the IDF identifies that Hezbollah is trying to reorganize after a dramatic blow it suffered on the Ali Taher ridge. The Air Force yesterday struck a laboratory and a warehouse of electronic components of Hezbollah in the Sajoud area. The IDF is trying to operate on the defensive fronts proactively, which they call 'offensive defensive battle'.