As Operation Protective Edge entered its 50th day on Tuesday, we found ourselves with more questions than answers. Despite Israel's heavy shelling of the Gaza Strip, we still do not know what shape the final cease-fire agreement will take, whether Israel has been able to re-establish deterrence, and what implications the operation and any subsequent truce deal would have on the region. Fifty days are a small eternity in military terms, and the past few weeks have divided Israelis into two groups: those who think the operation is a success, and that its true achievements will be revealed only after the dust settles; and those who believe it to be a resounding failure, which will come back to haunt Israel in the future. Those who led the Gaza campaign, namely Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, belong to the former, while those who opposed the government's policies throughout -- Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman, Habayit Hayehudi Chairman Naftali Bennett and the hawkish Likud MKs -- belong to the latter. A sober review of the situation reveals that while there is no dispute over the fact that Israel has dealt Hamas an unprecedented and debilitating blow, Hamas still managed to drag Israel into a prolonged, frustrating and expensive -- in terms of lives as well as funds -- military campaign, which has so far been devoid a decisive result. Israel has been able to thwart the majority of Hamas' offensive ploys and nip its tunnel enterprise in the bud, but the majority of Israelis have found themselves under never ending rocket fire, which over the past few days has even managed to chip away at the resilience demonstrated by the residents of the Gaza border-adjacent communities. The main issue here is that somehow Hamas has been the one to call the shots. When it sought a cease-fire one was enacted, and when it chose to end it the fire resumed. After 50 days, Jerusalem seems to be waiting for Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal to make up his mind. Just like in the 1993 comedy "Groundhog Day," in which a bored weatherman finds himself in a time loop that makes him repeat the same day over and over again, Israel has found itself in a time loop of sorts since July 7, waiting for Hamas to accept whatever cease-fire proposal is on the table. Mashaal will eventually come around and a cease-fire agreement will be enacted, even if it takes several more days. Israel has already vetoed Hamas' demands for and airport and a seaport, and Jerusalem knows its demand for the full demilitarization of the Strip will not be met. The deal will include the opening of the Gaza crossings and the expansion of the fishing zone off the Strip's coast, as well as a somewhat ambiguous cease-fire. The truce achieved would have critical implications: if rocket fire resumes within a short period of time, Operation Protective Edge would be declared a failure, but if the Gaza vicinity communities are able to enjoy prolonged peace and quiet, the military campaign would be hailed a success -- especially if it is also able to effectively stem the terrorist groups' rearmament efforts. Still, neither Israeli politicians nor their counterparts worldwide have time to wait for the dust to settle. Once the operation is over, those watching from the outside will pounce on Israel and unleash international commissions of inquiry, while those within are likely to make the past 50 days of political bickering look like walk in the park. Before all this begins, these politicians would be wise to visit Kibbutz Nahal Oz and get a reminder of who has really paid the price.
