10/22/2024–|Last updated: 10/22/202403:06 PM (Mecca time)
Former head of the Israeli National Security Council, Giora Eiland, stressed the necessity of stopping the war on the Gaza Strip now, warning that its continuation will not change the reality there, and will lead to the death of all prisoners and the killing of more soldiers.
Eiland considered, in an article published by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, that continuing the war for another year will not achieve any achievements for Israel, nor will it bring any strategic benefit, while “human losses will escalate among Israeli soldiers and hostages without a fundamental change in the equation of the conflict.”
He said, “If we continue fighting in Gaza for another 6 months, or a year, it will not change the reality there. Only two things will happen: all the detainees will die and more soldiers will be killed.”
Although he claimed that it was possible to try to improve the terms of the deal, especially with regard to the number of Palestinians to be liberated for each living Israeli prisoner, he stressed that “there is no need to insist on nonsense, especially not on the Philadelphia axis.”
This is in reference to the position of the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which refuses to withdraw from this axis along with the border on Egypt in any deal reached with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
Reasons to stop the war
In his article, Eiland presented 4 reasons that he believes are strong reasons for the necessity of stopping the war in Gaza immediately, considering that the most important reason is that “the human losses have become greater than any potential gains.”
He also highlighted the new change in Israeli society, and said, “Previously, the Israeli people felt great sadness for every soldier killed in battle, but this feeling turned into a kind of cruelty and indifference, as society no longer cried for the soldiers as in the past.” .
He added, “Our hearts have become hardened by the death of soldiers, our best sons. Soldiers are not only being killed, but many soldiers are suffering physical and psychological injuries that affect their entire lives, such as losing limbs or sight, which completely destroys their future.”
The Israeli general also pointed to another reason, which is the enormous pressure on soldiers, especially reserve soldiers, who he said “suffer complex economic and family circumstances, which make the continuation of the war a burden they cannot bear.”
In addition, the Israeli general believes that the economic cost of the war makes its continuation unfeasible. According to Eiland, about half a billion shekels ($132.3 million) are spent every day of fighting, which burdens the Israeli economy.
He says that although the Lebanese front is currently receiving the greatest focus, the depletion of resources in Gaza will cast a heavy shadow on the economy in the near future.
Eiland adds another reason lies in the international position demanding an end to operations in Gaza. He says, “The fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon is more understood, but the world does not understand what we want to achieve in Gaza, and this puts Israel in diplomatic isolation.”
Priority is given to prisoners
On the other hand, Eiland believes that any agreement with Hamas must have the sole goal of liberating detainees, without requesting any additional concessions from Hamas, but he believes that the real battle is with regional parties, such as the United States, Egypt and Qatar, which he calls for to pressure to ensure Not reconstructing Gaza except on the condition that Hamas is disarmed.
He said, “Gaza is completely destroyed. Hamas will not be able to rebuild its strength unless there is a huge reconstruction project. We will not allow this without a mechanism that systematically destroys what remains of the military infrastructure.”
Eiland claims that “there is potential disappointment among the residents of Gaza towards Hamas, but this popular rebellion will not happen as long as the war continues, and as long as Israeli forces are present in the Gaza Strip,” noting that “prolonging military operations will lead to continued suffering of the population and renewed actions.” Hostility.”
The Israeli general was keen to emphasize the saying that “a war aimed at removing the threat is necessary and justifies the high costs it entails, but this is not the situation in Gaza.”
Eiland blamed the Israeli government, saying: “Unfortunately, the Israeli government does not follow this logic, and does not even meet for a discussion aimed at choosing between two alternatives: continuing the war in Gaza until final victory, or preparing to end the war in Gaza in exchange for the return of all detainees.”