WarSclerotic

A mere year and a half after Operation Pillar of Defense, we now, unsurprisingly, find ourselves facing another “round” of terrorist rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.

The range of the rockets has expanded, with more than half of Israel’s population now under threat. This time, a lesson must be taught. “Returning the quiet” will not be enough. We must change the current situation, in which a terrorist group can shower rockets on a strong country like Israel.

The purposes of Operation Protective Edge must be defined precisely: the toppling of the Hamas regime and the elimination of all rockets in Gaza.

Is it possible to defeat a terrorist group? Can these objectives be achieved using military force? The answer to both questions is yes. A terrorist group with a territorial base can be deterred by threatening its hold on that base. The destruction of Hamas governing infrastructure and the targeted killing or expulsion of Hamas leaders are attainable goals.

Will this require a ground operation? Will such an operation involve the loss of troops? Yes and yes. Every military commander knows the challenge is to fulfill the mission and protect soldiers, in that order. Our sensitivity regarding the lives of soldiers is an asset, but when it becomes the main consideration, this undermines the main mission of the IDF — providing security to the citizens of Israel.

Declarations such as “We won’t go into Gaza” are foolish and play into the hands of the enemy, who can conclude from this that all it has to do is hold out for a few weeks and it will emerge victorious. And a ground operation will not involve an unbearable level of losses. A ground operation will include numerous stages and options. It will not necessitate the takeover of every alleyway and refugee camp in Gaza.

Will we get stuck in the “Gaza mud”? No. But we will stay in the areas we capture to deal a lethal blow to terrorist groups, dismantle the rocket infrastructure and topple the Hamas government.

Who will replace Hamas? Someone else, perhaps even from Hamas, but he will remember what happened to Ismail Haniyeh and his gang.

We should pay heed to what leaders of southern communities under fire have been saying. Residents of the south are the true backbone (with help from the Iron Dome) of the homefront. And this is what they are telling Israel’s civilian and military leaders: We are giving you a mandate to solve the problem we have lived with for years. Continue to be strong and patient. We will pay the price, but give us a real solution.

So Israel has a national need, a mandate from the people and a strong military. Now we need to win — to topple the Hamas regime and cleanse Gaza of rockets. If Israel does not do this now, it will have to do it in the future, after more suffering by its citizens and under more difficult conditions. If Israel does do this now, it will be serving as a protective edge for its people.

Maj. Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan is a former IDF deputy chief of general staff and former head of the National Security Council.