Former British defence minister: Outrage killing is already undermining Israel's security (Reuters)
The war in the Gaza Strip is not going well for Israel, despite its "overwhelming" superiority in conventional weapons and what it considers a "just" cause.
The IDF's mistake in killing three of the captives is tactically the latest evidence that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's approach to war is counterproductive: undermining international support, pushing Gaza's youth toward "extremism" and risking unrest in the Middle East.
She explained that the latest army mistake in killing Israeli prisoners, "naked and raising a white flag," is a "harsh" reminder of how eager soldiers are to shoot.
Indicator of disability
According to the editorial, Israel's failure so far to capture senior Hamas leaders or "neutralize" much of its infrastructure is another indication of its helplessness: "The tunnels discovered seemed empty."
Strategically, war has proven futile. Former British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the "outrageous killing" in response to the "atrocities" of October 7 was already undermining Israel's security.
The newspaper said it was keenly aware that it was the "horrific mass killing" committed by Hamas that caused the reaction, but that a "great gesture" was needed to ensure that no new reaction was provoked and that "the poison does not leak to infect everyone."
Dangerous stage
The editorial quotes Wallace as saying: "We are entering a dangerous phase now, Israel is weakening with its actions the original legal argument in self-defense. "She is making a mistake that loses her moral credibility as well as the legal pretext."
Commenting on the former British minister's statement, the newspaper stresses that Israel's friends and allies in the West share the same view, noting that the pressure on Tel Aviv to end the war is getting fiercer.
Unless the Israeli government shows extraordinary "intransigence", change is coming in some form, perhaps a change in military tactics, rather than a halt to them.
There is no guarantee
The problem with a permanent ceasefire is that it depends on the extent to which both sides adhere to it, "and there has never been a guarantee that Hamas will be willing to suspend its war on Israel and its 'deadly' tendency toward the Jewish people.
Perhaps if, in the current circumstances, Israel ends its continued bombardment, heavy armor use, and mass troop movements, Hamas may not take advantage of the lull to avoid another "massive retaliation."
If Israeli forces continue to enter Gaza and launch limited raids on specific targets, Hamas will certainly respond, according to the editorial.
Neither possibility means in any sense that Israel will gain.
Source: The Independent