The Gaza War is Lost: But Will Netanyahu Concede? by Ramzy Baroud

Here’s a Palestinian perspective that says the Israelis are far from invincible. From Ramzy Baroud at antiwar.com:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had often boasted about the readiness of his army to deal with, and to eliminate all threats to Israel’s “security.”

The Israeli military, too, has contributed to the Israeli hasbara that Tel Aviv would be able to face several threats at all fronts, from Gaza, to the West Bank, to Lebanon, and Syria.

But the Hamas attack at numerous Israeli targets on Saturday, October 7, at precisely 6:00 am Palestine time, proved him utterly and humiliatingly wrong. Neither Netanyahu, nor his army were in fact able to face a single Palestinian group, operating alone, and under siege.

It will take time for all of this to sink in among Israeli leaders, military brass, media, and society. For now, however, Netanyahu is desperate to show that Israel remains a powerful country and a regional power that deserves its often-touted status of having an “invincible” army.

But all his options are nearly impossible.

It was obvious that Hamas, and later the Islamic Jihad, were keen on capturing as many Israelis – both soldiers, and settlers – as possible.

Doing so, means creating a new line of defense, that would limit the Israeli military response, and would, eventually force Israel to negotiate.

But what the Palestinian Resistance wants from Netanyahu is too high a price for the embattled prime minister to pay.

Statement after statement, starting with that of Al-Qassam Brigades’ top commander, Mohammed Deif – followed by Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’s political bureau, and later Ziad al-Nakhla of the Islamic Jihad – showed that the Palestinian demands are both clear and precise:

Freeing all prisoners; respecting the sanctity of Palestinian holy sites in Jerusalem, ending the siege on Gaza and more.

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