by Israel Hayom Staff
If war proves inevitable, Israel may have no choice but to topple Hamas, former IDF general says.
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A Palestinian in
Jabaliya prepares a kite before flying it over
the border with Israel
Photo: AFP
Hamas
leadership has decided to scale back its kite terrorism campaign and
it is likely to come to a halt by next week, the Palestinian daily
Al-Quds reported Wednesday.
According to the report, the decision was made in an effort to prevent a full-fledged clash between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The terrorist arson campaign, launched in
late April, has so far decimated over 9,000 acres of forest and
farmlands on the Israeli side of the border. Incendiary kites and
balloons have caused millions of dollars in damage to the area over the
past three months and environmental experts say it will take at
least 15 years to rehabilitate the vegetation and wildlife that have
been destroyed.
Al-Quds quoted senior Gaza sources as
saying that Hamas' decision stemmed from their reluctance to see Gaza,
which is in a dire humanitarian state, subjected to another war.
Hamas has therefore decided to heed the
advice of Egyptian officials, who warned that Israel's patience was
wearing thin and Gaza's rulers would be wide to curb the kite terrorism
campaign.
Gaza-based terrorists fired 200 projectiles
at Israel's border towns over the weekend, triggering a forceful
Israeli response. While an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire was achieved
eventually, it did little to affect arson terrorism.
Dozens of fires, sparked by incendiary
kites and balloons, scorched the Israeli side of the border on Monday
and Tuesday, with one balloon landing in a kindergarten in the Sdot
Negev Regional Council as children were playing in the yard.
No injuries were reported in the incident,
but defense officials said Israel was no longer willing to contain the
situation and that a military campaign in Gaza was getting closer by
the day.
'We may have no choice but to topple Hamas'
Maj. Gen. (ret.) Gershon Hacohen, who was
the officer in charge of implementing the 2005 disengagement from Gaza
Strip, told Israel Hayom that Hamas' provocations may lead to war.
"Hamas doesn't want a full-blown conflict,
only to widen the gray areas where it operates. We have to be
creative – not just technologically – to prevent that," he noted.
"When it comes to Gaza, Hamas is stuck.
From an ideological standpoint, its border riots and 'March of Return'
is about ending the 'occupation' in Israel – something that enjoys
wall-to-wall Palestinian consensus. Hamas will not relinquish this
[ideology] and that's why we have to act forcibly in Judea and Samaria,
too. When it comes to Gaza, the [Israeli] interest is to maintain its
separation from Judea and Samaria."
Still, Hacohen said that in the event of
another war with Gaza, Israel may have no choice but to seize control
of the enclave, even if it does not completely serve its interests.
"It's good for us that someone else, not
Abu Mazen [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas] is ruling
Gaza because it undermines the EU's pressure to form a Palestinian
state in the 1967 lines. This is why we don't want to topple Hamas'
regime, but if we're left with no other choice and we end up going
into Gaza, we may have to eliminate Hamas.
"If that happens, we'll have to be very
careful not to hand it [Gaza] to Abu Mazen on a silver platter. It's
inconceivable that would we go in, fight and eliminate Hamas, then just
hand it [Gaza] over to him. We'll have to come up with something more
creative."
He further urged the IDF to "think outside of the box" with respect to dealing with kite terrorism.
he cautioned against politicizing military
decisions, such as IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot's
position against targeting kite cells comprising children, Hachoen
stressed that "we have to prevent any breach of our sovereignty,
period. This doesn't necessarily mean killing 8-year-olds. We have to
be creative and think outside the box. The IDF has to find a solution
to arson terrorism."
Former National Security Council Director
Maj. Gen. (ret.) Giora Eiland, for his part, said that when it comes
to the Gaza Strip, the only thing guiding Israel should be its own
interests.
"We keep coming up with tactical solutions
for the situation, and that's partially correct, but there is a lack
of strategic thought about our interests versus reality on the ground,
and whether or not our actions promote Israeli interests," he
explained.
"The reality is that, for the past 12
years, Gaza Strip has been an independent state. It has a strong
government, clear borders, a military and foreign policy. Israel is
always better off dealing with a state rather than a terrorist
organization.
"Gaza may be an enemy state, but Israel is
surrounded by those and it knows how to regulate its relations with
them," he continued. "Israel has no territorial, economic or political
interest in Gaza. The only interest it has is maintaining peace and
security. Hamas' interests are also simple – it wants to stay in power,
gain international legitimacy and rehabilitate Gaza.
"These interests are not so far apart and
the differences can be bridged. But to do that, Israel has to engage
Hamas government directly. This is the only way to end the kite
terrorism and secure a prisoner exchange deal. Appealing to Gazans is
ineffective."
Eiland maintains that "the diplomatic and
security price we will pay will be minor but reaching an agreement
will have major benefits because there will be peace and quiet on the
border. Given tensions in the northern sector, a quiet southern border
is vital. That's the only interest Israel should consider," he said.
Israel Hayom Staff
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/2018/07/18/report-hamas-to-curb-kite-terrorism-to-avoid-escalation/
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