A public debate has begun over when exactly the Israel Defense Forces should withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Many say the time has come to terminate the operation. They argue that the military has achieved its objectives in the operation. On the other hand, several have backed a full occupation of the Gaza Strip until the total annihilation of Hamas, even if doing so entails paying a high price.
For us, residents of the Gaza periphery, it's obvious that the IDF must stay in the Gaza Strip until each and every attack tunnel that was dug over the last few years is totally, absolutely destroyed. From our perspective, a tunnel is the same as a smoking gun constantly aimed at our children's heads. Does anybody think leaving Israeli citizens exposed to Hamas' murderers without any sort of protection is actually an option?
To fully destroy the tunnel infrastructure, the IDF certainly must keep its soldiers moving all the time, rather than keeping them stationary in defensive positions, which only opens them up to attacks or allows terrorists to plan attacks against them. Our troops must move from house to house, neighborhood to neighborhood, purging them of tunnels. Commanders must plan surprise attacks for such maneuvers, emerging from unanticipated directions while using all of the available intelligence. The fighting thus far has also resulted in a significant number of captives, Hamas people hoarding invaluable information. Shin Bet agents are undoubtedly working round the clock, alongside the IDF, to provide military commanders with the precious information they were lacking.
We are pained and the tears well up in our eyes with each and every fallen or wounded soldier. We realize these young soldiers are sacrificing their lives to allow us to live with security and without a constant threat hovering overhead. We have no other choice. We have reached a situation of "us or them."
Hamas managed to dig thousands of tunnels while, it would appear, several Israeli authorities were sleeping on their guard. I know the Shin Bet and IDF warned us of the tunnel threat, but for the most part, these warnings seem to have fallen on deaf ears. National defense officials and political decision-makers never knocked on the right doors, and failed to alert the appropriate individuals. The issue demands an independent investigative commission.
Today, the situation is that the IDF is fighting in Gaza while unearthing the tunnels. These tunnels are effectively an existential threat to the State of Israel, for their very existence could cause a significant segment of the population to permanently abandon unsecured areas. That is precisely why the IDF must stay and fight until not a single tunnel remains burrowed in the hills.
There is no point in our making any sort of compromise or agreement for a cease-fire. There's also no reason for us to pursue the objective of toppling the murderous Hamas regime once and for all. We have learned first-hand that only we can defend ourselves. Nobody will do the work for us. Better to live in safety, hated by international left-wing organizations, than in constant fear, adored by MK Hanin Zoabi and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Haim Kunzitz is a lieutenant-colonel (res.) and a resident of Kibbutz Zikim.
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