Retired General Sees Hamas Threat as Strategic Opportunity for Israel

Following reports of a Hamas threat to launch further attacks if Israel continues to undermine its rule in Gaza, retired Brigadier General Oren Solomon views this as a strategic opportunity for Israel. He argues that Israel should change its objectives in Gaza, aiming to dismantle Hamas's governance and evacuate the Strip's population.

According to media reports, the UN's Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs in Gaza conveyed a threat from Hamas to Israel: additional attacks in Judea and Samaria, Israel, and abroad would occur if Israel persisted in actions harming Hamas's control in the Gaza Strip. Solomon, who was appointed head of the War Investigation Team for the Gaza Division and served as its combat manager, sees this threat as a strategic opening for Israel.

In an interview with Arutz 7, Solomon recalled Hamas's nature and goals, stating, "Hamas is not just a terror organization, but an army with a state in the territory of the Gaza Strip, an army that planned to destroy the State of Israel through the convergence of arenas. It began the move on October 7th when it conquered the Gaza envelope communities for several hours and carried out a terrible massacre. It is important to remember who we are facing, so we will not be surprised." Solomon emphasized that his remarks are based on intelligence materials gathered before and during the war.

He noted that according to these documents, all levels of Hamas view the October 7th attack as a success, despite the heavy price paid by Gaza and the extensive destruction. "In their eyes, it is a success because they see themselves as having defeated the Israeli army for hours with achievements of occupying territory. They are also looking ahead; they see those who died as martyrs and in the future they will receive a new Gaza with luxury buildings, Dubai 2," he said. Against this worldview, Solomon stated that Hamas's current threat is not surprising. He believes Israel missed a historic opportunity to eliminate the organization, both as a military force and as a governing entity.

"We had a historic opportunity to destroy Hamas as a terror organization and as a civilian governing organization. This is not about destroying a signature on a document and handing over weapons as appears in the points plan, but about a bullet in the head," he asserted. Solomon believes Israel should leverage the new threat to act towards Hamas's elimination and set a goal of evacuating all residents from the Strip. "Because Gaza is Hamas and Hamas is Gaza in the depths of things. It's not that Hamas took over a poor population. They chose them in democratic elections and never actively opposed them. The population in Gaza contains hundreds of thousands of people in close proximity to Hamas members, past and present."

His approach suggests the Israeli leadership should clarify to the United States and international mediators that the current threat proves Hamas has not abandoned its ambitions or methods, and that Israel intends to act independently to counter the threat. Solomon proposes setting a long-term goal of a Gaza Strip without its inhabitants, stating that even if realization takes decades, it should be established now as part of Israeli policy. He defines Hamas's threat as "a golden opportunity" (literally, "lifting for landing").

When asked if he identifies political figures adopting a similar view, Solomon replied negatively. He believes that even those who speak of the need to dismantle Hamas's capabilities do not draw the conclusions he proposes regarding the future of the entire Strip. Solomon calls to prevent the Strip's reconstruction and to define the imposition of Israeli sovereignty over it as a national goal, in line with his historical, moral, political, and security perspective. "There is no ability to change the thinking of those Gazans. There is no one today who speaks this language. I speak with cabinet ministers and write to the Prime Minister and hope that reality will bring about change," he concluded.