The Next Steps in Gaza

by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem

God has honored Gaza with a clear victory, and praise be to God. Gaza managed to neutralize the effect of the Israeli air force with respect to military positions, which have become largely fortified and camouflaged to a professional degree, and Israel was unable to escalate the fighting into a ground war without paying a heavy price. Of course, there are many stories I read on the internet, and hear from some people, about what is called a conspiracy between Israel and Hamas; it suffices to say that the defeated hate the scent of victory. For a long time the Arabs turned their defeats into victories, but since 2006 the defeated have been turning victory into defeat, and it is best to leave them to wander blindly in what they imagine conceals the truth.

Now, after this great achievement on the land of Palestine, what will be the next steps in Gaza? My assessment is as follows:

Conducting a full, scientific study of the course of the war in order to draw lessons and benefit from them.

Studying the phenomenon of collaborators and spies, and searching for the best ways to eliminate it. It was clear during the war that military positions were, for the most part, secured from the eyes and ears of spies, but spies remain strong on the surface. There are collaborators and spies who monitor the movements of resistance fighters above ground and carry sophisticated communication devices to supply the Israelis with information. The resistance movements are expected to intensify their efforts to search for these people, expose them, and take appropriate measures against them. Reliance on human tracking alone is not enough; the resistance will need to make use of modern technology such as lie-detection tools, sensors for adrenaline and heart rate, and means of intercepting messages and phone calls. This is costly and exhausting, but laxity on this matter costs the resistance an even greater price.

Militarily, the expected focus will be on the following:

Working hard and diligently to develop an air-defense system. It is not enough to neutralize Israeli aircraft through trenching alone; development in this field is expected in order to protect our people and our property from killing and destruction. The Israelis did not hesitate to bomb people and their homes after failing to reach military positions, and protecting people is what is required.

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Developing missile capabilities, particularly with regard to payload and precision.

Extending the tunnels so that they come closer to the Zionist military vehicles massing around Gaza.

Developing Palestinian intelligence work so that it becomes more knowledgeable about Zionist military positions.

Politically, the expected focus will be on the following:

Working to achieve Palestinian national unity encompassing the entire Palestinian people, not just the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Strengthening the culture of resistance in every place where the Palestinian people are present.

Hamas will try to seek political fruits from this victory, and it may resort to courting the Europeans with the aim of opening public diplomatic channels with them. Hamas would be mistaken to do so, because the victory achieved is not sufficient to convince Europeans and Americans of the justice of the Palestinian cause. Israel must be dealt a crushing defeat, one convincing enough to persuade others that military initiative is no longer in Israel’s hands. The best thing Hamas can do in this regard is to focus on the return of Palestinian refugees to their homes and property on the land seized in 1948. We have learned from experience that chasing after the West without strength leads only to humiliation and disgrace.

Strengthening the alliance with Iran and Hezbollah. There is no one in the region today capable of effectively supporting the Palestinian resistance in Gaza except Iran and Hezbollah. Some may see Cairo as an alternative, but Cairo cannot play that role for years to come — that is, not until it has secured itself internally, economically, militarily, and in terms of security. Seeking financial and material support from Arab states is necessary, but the rocket exists only with Iran and Hezbollah. There are Arab regimes with modern military equipment, but it is not for the Arabs’ use.

Source: Translated from the original Arabic, “الخطوات القادمة في غزة” by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem.