The Path of Construction that Begins with Overcoming the ‘War on Terrorism’ (Part 1)

By Ikuzo Kobayashi, President to Salaam Association

From the Autumn Issue of the electronic “Salaam Quarterly Bulletin”, No.51, Nov 2024

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More than a year has passed since the massive Hamas-PIJ (Islamic Jihad) attack on Israel in Gaza which took place on October 7, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu described the sudden major cross-border attack as a ‘state of war’, immediately transitioned to a wartime posture and invoked Israel’s right to self-defense. He made a decision to mobilize the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) to attack Gaza. This was reminiscent of then US President George W. Bush’s declaration of a “war on terrorism” immediately after the September 11, 2001 Al-Qaeda attacks in the US.
I would like to reflect on the “War on Terrorism” that has lasted more than a year and consider the path of construction that can only begin by overcoming this battle.

I. Basic Strategy of the Israeli War Cabinet and Military Objectives of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces)

The basic strategy of the Israeli War Cabinet seems to be threefold: to overcome the state of war, free the hostages and wipe out Hamas and PIJ fighters and pave the way for a reconsideration of Gaza’s governance. And the IDF’s goals would be the release of all hostages, the extermination of the fighters, and the destruction of the terrorist organizations.

1.’State of war’ exceeded 40 days after the massive terrorist attack

1）Massive Cross-border Terrorist Attacks by Hamas and PIJ

(1) Massive Attack

It was when we were informed of the news that more than 70 fighters had crossed the border over the Separation Wall that we realized that this attack was different from the 2014 Gaza conflict, not only based on its attack scale. Over 5,000 rockets, paragliders in the air, and boats in the sea that were involved in the invasive attack, all suggest that a full-scale attack against Israel had suddenly occurred. The fact that 3,000 terrorists (The Times of Israel, November 1) were sent out on motorcycles as fighters in a cross-border attack made me think that it must be a plan to start a civil war.

According to ARABNEWS Japan, Hamas supreme leader Haniyeh stated that the group will extend its fighting in the Gaza Strip to the West Bank and Jerusalem. Muhammad Deif, the head of Hamas’ military wing, said the seven-day attack was the start of Operation “Al-Aqsa Storm” and called on Palestinians from East Jerusalem to northern Israel to join the battle, according to the report.
According to BBC News dated October 9, 2023, by Sean Seddon and Daniel Palumbo, Hamas fighters left Gaza and went in all directions, raiding more than 27 locations, including the farthest point 22.5 km from Gaza, killing the enemies at first sight. In Sderot, southern Israel, located 3 kilometers from Gaza, the armed militants were captured on video riding in the back of a pickup truck driving through the city. (Photo below right is a screenshot of the video)

(2)Former top Hamas official Mashal calls on all Muslims worldwide to “join the war against Israel.”

Khalid Mashal,former top Hamas official and founding member of Hamas, said that on Friday, October 13, a message called “Al-Aqsa Flood Friday” would be issued to the world. The specific message of anger would include appeals for financial support to Islamists and Hamas, the provision of fighter jets to Gaza to compensate for the destruction, political pressure from Muslim countries to stop Israel’s military incursion into Gaza, and, most importantly, an appeal that all Muslims should show their anger to the Zionists and America, i.e., to become martyrs in jihad.
Hamas states that “the only solution to the Palestinian problem is through jihad (terrorism, violent uprising) “. Hamas’ theory of movement is considered an Islamic resistance movement, and their beliefs derive from the Islamic ideology described in the Hamas Charter. (See: Chapter 13 of the Hamas Charter)

(3)Indiscriminate terrorism and kidnapping

The photo right shows a Hamas armed exercise for a surprise attack on Israel on October 7 that has been repeated since 2020, and the video footage was reportedly posted on social media for Hamas propaganda purposes. Hostage-taking is an important part of terrorist organizations’ strategies for monetary purposes as spoils of war, hostage exchange, and as human shields. In this case, the goal is to draw them into the Gaza tunnels to blunt and delay the IDF’s counterattack, and in turn, to use the hostages’ lives as a shield to create public opinion in Israel to rescue them and overthrow the Israeli government.

(4) When the war with the IDF stalemated after three months of fighting, the plan was to expand the war, escalating to participation of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria, the capture of a ship by the Houthis in Yemen, and missile attacks from Iran.

Although it is certain that the main actors in the planned attack were Hamas and radical Islamic terrorist groups in Gaza, it was conceivable that if the flames of war spread to the West Bank, it could spread to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps “Qods Force” in Syria and expand into a two-front war with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

2）Israel’s Counterattack

(1) Israel’s war footing, wartime cabinet, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) mobilization by invoking the right of self-defense

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took control of the situation quickly. He immediately issued a statement that there is a “state of war”. Needless to say, there is a difference between war and a state of war. Hamas is neither a state nor a government representing Palestine. Nevertheless, he declared a “state of war”. The statement was to convey his perception quickly to the entire nation that this was unlike the 50-day conflict in Gaza that took place in 2014.
The Likud-led Netanyahu government was also amid a period of unstable administration after several years of coalition cabinets formed by minority parties. He immediately transitioned to war footing, forming a wartime cabinet and invoking the right of self-defense. How should the wartime cabinet halt and overcome the state of war? How should the hostage release operation be conducted? What should be the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)’s goals? Determining the basic strategy and the combat objectives of the IDF must have been a matter of urgency.

(2) To get the backing of the U.S.

The biggest question is how committed Iran will be to the Hamas attack plan. When it joins the attack will depend on the extent of Iran’s agreement to the Hamas’ plan. Even so, it is natural to assume the worst-case scenario and deter it, and it goes without saying that Israel called President Biden to explain the situation in detail and share its awareness. As a result, on October 8, U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin announced that a carrier strike force, led by the state-of-the-art aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, would be dispatched to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel in order to “deter Iran from taking advantage of the instability in the region. In a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu on the same day, President Biden stressed that “there is no reason whatsoever to justify terrorism. “

(3)IDF invasion of Gaza by invoking the right of self-defense, destruction of Hamas and release of hostages

Gaza has been under effective control by Hamas since 2007. It is not under the political control of the interim autonomous government, the PA. Israeli troops withdrew from Gaza in 2005, and Israeli security police forces are not present. Under such circumstances, more than 250 people were abducted as hostages, and how can they be liberated? The experience of the 2016 Gaza conflict has shown that Gaza has underground tunnels that lead to hospitals and schools. The hostages must have been taken and detained in various places. How should the battle minimize Israeli soldiers’ casualties from the Gaza invasion?
The conclusion reached there is all-out war with Hamas. There is no other way but to launch an all-out military invasion while bombing the Hamas strongholds that have been identified. The only way to free the hostages is through a military offensive. Aware that the air strikes would provoke a massive backlash of international public opinion, the Israeli government issued an evacuation advisory for the population in the southern half of Gaza.
Israeli army (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari announced at a press conference on October 31 that the army’s warplanes attacked the Jabalia refugee camp, killing Commander Ibrahim Biari. He then announced that the IDF had gained control in northern Gaza from Hamas after a month of fighting through airstrikes and ground operations. A subsequent seven-day pause in fighting in late November resulted in the release of 110 hostages.
The massive October 7 Hamas attack could be described as a surprise attack and suddenly brought Israel to a state of war. This warfare had the potential to spread to the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, and Iran. That was Hamas’ plan, and public opinion feared a new Middle East war due to the Iran-Israel conflict. Israel, the party involved, decided to invade Gaza, the spark and the powder keg, immediately afterwards. It was the right decision. It deterred the spread of the conflict. The arrival of the U.S. Carrier Strike Force was also a decisive deterrent to Iran’s entry into the war.
The 40-day offensive led to the control of the northern half of Gaza and the release of the hostages.

2.Gaza battle phase 2

The IDF began its “second phase of fighting” on December 5 after a seven-day pause. Near several schools in the northern Gaza Strip, the IDF carried out more than 250 airstrikes and engaged in heavy fighting with Hamas fighters, killing half of the Hamas commanders, the IDF reported. The IDF reported that it had discovered a vertical shaft leading to an underground tunnel and weapons and the destruction of Hamas was well underway.

(1) Ceasefire Negotiations

In 2024, the progress in ceasefire negotiations was halted due to the gap between the two sides’ positions.
・Israeli side: 6-week pause in fighting + release of hostages (all 135)
・Hamas side: Permanent ceasefire
Israel maintained the basic strategy of “hostage release through the military offensive” and the IDF stepped up its offensive to destroy Hamas. In January, the IDF wound down its sweep of the northern half of Gaza and shifted its focus to the southern city of Khan Younis. The largest hospital in Khan Younis is Nasser Hospital, and IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari announced, “We have received a number of credible reports from released hostages that Hamas is holding hostages in the Khan Younis hospital.
The IDF announced on February 1 that it had dismantled the Khan Younis battalion of Hamas.
Meanwhile, in February, Hamas attacked a supply depot for relief supplies brought in by truck from Rafah, and the supplies were robbed. A firefight with Israeli troops ensued, forcing Israel to temporarily halt the delivery of supplies from the Rafah checkpoint and develop a new route. In response, President Biden announced on March 8 that he would “spearhead humanitarian aid to Gaza and establish a temporary wharf on the Gaza coast to receive large ships carrying foods, water, medicines, and temporary shelters.

(2)Ground war begins in Rafah, southern Gaza

On the evening of May 8, a limited ground offensive was launched in Rafah. Limited means attacks were limited on Hamas military installations. The ground invasion is both a mop-up operation to destroy Hamas and a rescue operation for hostages believed to be dispersed and being held in captivity. It is a deliberate operation based on confirmed information. The June 6 airstrike on the Nusseitra School in central Gaza is a case in point. The school was a UN-run school. After the strike, U.N. Secretary-General Guterres denounced it as “a terrible example of civilians paying the price,” and U.S. State Department spokesman Miller said, “Hamas is hiding in a civilian facility. ”
On June 17, the IDF announced that it had dismantled two of the four Hamas battalions. It stated that it had already killed more than 550 fighters (with confirmed bodies), and that many of the more than 8,000 fighters had fled, disguised as civilians. It announced that 120 hostages remain, 40 of whom are expected to be dead.
On July 13, the IDF carried out a targeted attack on a key figure, killing Muhammad Deif, head of the Hamas military wing.
On July 24, Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the U.S. Congress and emphasized the following points.
・Need for destroying military and governance capabilities of the Islamic organization Hamas
・Need for background checks of subjects returning from the southern part to the northern part
In response, the U.S. Congress demanded the early formulation of a concrete plan for post-war governance of Gaza.

(3)On July 31, Haniyeh, top Hamas official, was killed in Iran

On July 31, 2024, BBC NEWS reported that Hamas supreme leader Haniyeh was killed in Iran.
According to the BBC, Haniyeh was staying at a facility related to retired military personnel in the city of Tehran, and at 2:00 a.m., July 31 he was attacked by a missile and killed along with his escort. The photo above is from a video shown a few hours before his death.
Although the details of the truth are not yet clear, the cause of his death was the explosion of a bomb that was placed under a bed in the bedroom where Haniyeh was staying.

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