Now that almost six weeks have passed since the war broke out, Israel faces the task of juggling six immediate challenges in a way that maximizes its achievements in the conflict.
The first challenge: The ground war. The IDF will complete this week the seizure of all parts of the city of Gaza as part of consolidating its grip on the northern part of the strip. It will need to tread carefully in dealing with several combustible issues, foremost among them being the Shifa Hospital.
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The dilemma is clear: On one hand, targeting a critical Hamas facility will affect its capabilities and demonstrate its vulnerability. On the other hand, it will equip Israel's adversaries with the claim that it has no red lines.
The fighting itself is expected to become even more complex as Hamas attempts to defend its most critical assets. Evidence of this was seen in the explosion of the captured tunnel where four fighters were killed on Friday, an operational incident whose after-action report must produce critical lessons to avoid a repeat of that tragedy. These difficulties will be compounded by the weather – rain in the middle of the week – which will hinder both aerial and ground activities.
The second challenge: Avoiding a multi-theater conflagration. The second challenge is preventing escalation in other arenas. Hezbollah might not seek war, but the challenge from its direction is ever-increasing. Alongside the incessant launches from Yemen and mounting pressure from Iraq, the IDF is required to maintain deterrence and prevent escalation on multiple fronts, allowing it to continue focusing on Gaza. There is also increasing unrest in Judea and Samaria, both in solidarity with Gaza and due to the troubled economic situation (around 150,000 Palestinians who are not allowed to work in Israel). Israel must be vigilant to ensure the West Bank doesn't boil over and, as part of this, also curb violent activities from extreme right-wing provocateurs.
The third challenge: progress on the captives. There are ongoing negotiations for a significant deal that would supposedly include around 100 captives in exchange for a ceasefire lasting several days in the conflict. However, the likelihood of achieving this, as of Sunday night, is only moderate. Yet, the political and security establishment goes to sleep every night and wakes up every morning with the images of the 239 captives in their minds. Efforts, both operational and diplomatic, are likely being made to address the issue, but at some point, presenting results will also become necessary.
Video: IDF soldiers sing Hatikvah on the coast of Gaza / Credit: Usage under Israeli intellectual property law, Article 27a
The fourth challenge: Securing legitimacy for a longer campaign. While most governments in the West and the region continue to support Israel, they are also asking more questions and facing increasing public criticism. This means Israel has to invest further in diplomacy while simultaneously prosecuting the Gaza war, attempting to minimize harm to non-combatants, and possibly offering certain humanitarian concessions in exchange for having the international community cut it more slack.
The fifth challenge: Israel advocacy abroad. Israel's actions have been lacking in this area, particularly in the past year. While it may not win in this arena, it must significantly improve its ability to counter its ill-wishers, including by immediately enlisting the best experts and firms specializing in this field.
This front has been neglected because of ego and politics but the country's wellbeing must trump other considerations. This arena could have a major impact on leaders' decisions, the degree of hostility toward Israel, Israelis, and Israeli businesses, as well as on antisemitism the world over.
The sixth challenge: Avoiding an economic crisis. Israel will have to ensure that the economy remains stable, especially by providing solutions to those who have had to evacuate their homes due to the fighting mainly those from the villages near the Gaza border. za periphery. Although Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has been boasting that he has been doing a lot, there are not many results to show for.
For instance, Kibbutz Be'eri, which suffered the hardest blow on October 7, recently said that it needed 10 million shekels (About $3 million) to relocate its businesses to where its residents had been displaced: the Dead Sea area. How much have they received from the treasury so far? Two million shekels (about $500,000). For those wondering, Smotrich hasn't visited them yet.
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