Summary

by Michael Young, Daily Star, Lebanon

The war in Gaza continues while the outcome remains uncertain.

The Israelis have portrayed the war as an effort to weaken Hamas, but everything they have done has strengthened the movement, after a period in which its popularity had dived domestically and its lucrative, vital tunnel system was closed by a hostile Egyptian government.

Israel’s ability to conduct wars entirely in the lands of its neighbors is becoming less possible by the day.

The only problem is that it will make the Israelis even more reluctant to give up land in the future, and will only strengthen the Israeli hard-liners’ self-serving claim that Israel is under perpetual threat.

Both gain from an intractable adversary, because it allows them to sidestep difficult choices: Israel avoids surrendering land, while Hamas evades the contentious matter of talking to Israel.

But from a political perspective, Hamas has gained more from the Gaza war than Israel.

More questionable is how Hamas will rebuild Gaza.

Israel may occupy all of Gaza and remain there for months while trying to dismantle Hamas.

Such a scenario is improbable, yet short of that Israel has no victorious endgame in Gaza.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Columnist/2014/Jul-24/264887-until-now-israel-is-flailing-in-gaza.ashx#ixzz38LNcF7O7
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)