(JNS) As Israel began the final high-intensity phase of its war against Hamas in Gaza, leading experts from the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS) said in a webinar on Sunday that a decisive military victory is a strategic imperative with profound regional and global implications.
Professor Efraim Inbar, who served as JISS president from 2017 to 2025, stated that despite the IDF’s significant achievements, Israel cannot yet claim victory. He noted that while Hamas is no longer an immediate military threat and has lost 70-75% of the territory it once controlled, it still holds Gaza City and can claim to have survived nearly two years of war against the Middle East’s strongest military.
“Hamas can still claim victory,” Inbar said. “The ‘resistance’ survived for almost two years. It’s obvious that Hamas wins the propaganda war.” He argued that this is not a conflict that can be won on points. “This war is not a boxing match where you can win by points. Here, you need a knockout,” he asserted.
He added, “From a historic perspective,...
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