Targeted killings halted - and no alternative offered: Government policy in the Strip is becoming dangerous
The IDF has achieved control over 65%-70% of the Gaza Strip, but in recent weeks, under international pressure, targeted killings have been halted without an alternative. The government approved the entry of a multinational force, and the defense establishment criticized the concessions. A Nukhba operative who worked as a humanitarian aid driver was arrested. The analysis assesses that the current policy is dangerous and may lead to negative processes.
The IDF has achieved significant gains in the Gaza Strip, especially in the past year, while creating a well-oiled machine for locating, mapping, and destroying terrorist infrastructure. As a result, the IDF now controls between 65% and about 70% of the Strip's territory. The commander of the Southern Command, Major General Yaniv Asor, promoted a policy of counter-terrorism through airstrikes, based on precise intelligence from the Shin Bet and the IDF's Intelligence Directorate. However, in recent weeks, under pressure from the new Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya and from Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE on the US, a shift has occurred. The Israeli government succumbed to American pressure and approved the entry of about 200 members of a multinational force into the Strip, and afterward it was decided to completely halt targeted killings without alternatives. In the defense establishment, criticism was voiced over the government's pragmatism toward Trump's peace plan, while ignoring Hamas's rehabilitation capabilities. Additionally, a Nukhba operative involved in October 7 was arrested near the Kerem Shalom crossing, after receiving permission to work as a humanitarian aid driver. The analysis assesses that the current policy is dangerous and may lead to negative processes.