(BESA Center for Strategic Studies-Bar-Ilan University) Yaakov Lappin - In the last three conflicts Israel fought against Hamas, its goal was creating deterrence to Hamas aggression. Today, while Israel hopes to avoid war, should hostilities resume, the IDF plans to make sure the end stage of that clash will be an unmistakable Israeli victory, and that no one will be able to mistake it for a tie or stalemate. Israel would likely seek to destroy Hamas' military wing, including its underground labyrinth of tunnels under Gaza City, while making every effort to minimize harm to noncombatants. Israel has been using the truce to build a growing fleet of armored personnel carriers and tanks that can defend themselves with active protection systems against Hamas' armor-piercing RPGs. That kind of protection is a game changer. Israel's ability to strike Hamas' underground city has also been enhanced significantly in recent years.
2017-08-30 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive