Israeli Commander of the 12th Brigade says dismantling the Hamas structure in Rafah will take at least two years. And he is indeed taking about just one small southern city of Gaza.
If this is the case imagine how long the Israeli army needs to wipe out Hamas in the whole of the enclave…decades might not be an unreasonable answer!
Hevri El-Baz said the task of eliminating the presence of Hamas is not easy. This issue requires time and great military pressure needs to be applied consistently to get to Hamas fighters and seek the whereabouts of the many underground tunnels in Rafah.
The Israeli army entered Rafah on 6 May and they are still battling Palestinian resistance fighters there with daily losses in lives and hardware. Although they say with a brave face they still have a few days left to get the job done.
But the reality is far different. The Israeli military commander says Hamas is leading a guerrilla war against the Jewish army. Also, Hamas is just one group; there are many other independent groups they are coordinating with, making the task of eliminatination and/or eradication especially more difficult.
These groups are a broad representation of the Palestinian resistance movement that knows every inch of the Gaza Strip. The Islamists Saraya Al Quds and the Abu Ali Mustapha Brigade of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine today stand in perfect alignment with Hamas.
This is contrary to the Israeli soldiers, for them the Gaza terrain is an alien one, its hostile, an uninviting, one that is likely to lead to the loss and confusion of the Israeli invader.
The Israeli commander warns whoever thinks that the sirens will stop within the next year is throwing sands in the eyes, adding fighting in Rafah is going slowly and Hamas fighters have studied us well.
The comments made by El-Baz are being uttered when there are at least nine brigades operating in this small city. Also, it shows the stiff resistance they are encountering from the different Palestinian armed groups.
The commander is echoing the views made by many Israelis including Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari who openly said Hamas can’t be beaten in Gaza and whoever believes that is throwing sand in the public’s eyes. —
Dr Marwan Asmar is a journalist from Amman, Jordan
