Israel has found itself in a complicated and challenging position, one that costs lives and consists of several fronts converging together. This is the post-war battle – a period when full military combat ended, but the challenges are just beginning.
First, there's a central fact to understand – a full-scale Israeli military war against Hamas will not resume. The war's cessation is considered one of President Donald Trump's major achievements, both internationally and in the domestic American arena. There's no chance he would give up this achievement.
However, Hamas systematically violates the ceasefire. The organization's terrorists continue attacking IDF soldiers, refuse to return fallen soldiers' bodies, tighten their control over western Gaza, and rehabilitate terror infrastructure. Each of these actions constitutes a blatant violation of the 20-point plan. But Israel's hands are tied – Trump, as clearly visible, does not agree to resume the war.
The truth must be told – it's not just Trump. Any decent person must ask themselves: What more can the IDF do to dismantle Hamas that wasn't done in the past two years? The organization still exists, and not only because of the 25% of the strip's territory the IDF didn't enter.
In fact, even Rafah, completely destroyed by Israel, provides a troubling example – three soldiers were killed in its vicinity in the past two weeks alone. In other words, military destruction alone is not enough. Hamas's death ideology is deeply rooted in Gazans' hearts – and that's where the real problem lies.
If so, what should be done? Here, according to Trump's plan, the "International Stabilization Force" (ISF) was supposed to come into action.
The Americans command the move but aren't willing to put "boots on the ground" – so the Marines remain out of the picture. The Turks expressed willingness to send soldiers, but Israel rejected the proposal – there's no intention to allow President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who cultivates Hamas in Turkey, to guard the organization's interests in Gaza. Qatari soldiers, if such exist, were also disqualified by Israel for exactly the same reason.
Who does Israel have left? The British declare they'll send soldiers directly into Gaza – but it remains to be seen if this will happen. The one seriously in the picture, according to all accounts, is Indonesia. However, according to the constitution in Jakarta, only a UN Security Council decision would allow President Prabowo Subianto to send 20,000 soldiers to the mission – and he indeed declared his willingness to do so at the UN last month.
The UN is a universe unto itself, and this is the fourth and complicated part of the battle. Jerusalem has very little desire for a Security Council resolution regarding Gaza, and the reasons are well known. The problem is that such resolutions are a hard nail to extract.
In other words, the Trump administration might indeed put forth a resolution with language Israel could live with. However, within a short time, countries like France, Britain, and Arab states will ensure to add components such as "recognition of Palestinian aspirations" or other diplomatic landmines that will make things difficult for Israel.
This creates the complex reality – four fronts converging together, creating a dead end where Israel is stuck: unable to resume the war, failing to stop Hamas violations, encountering difficulties establishing an international force, and forced to deal with diplomatic pressures in the Security Council.
