JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel would “crush and destroy” Hamas in response to its attack.
Netanyahu said every Hamas member was a “dead man.”
Netanyahu made the remarks in a late-night televised address as Israeli planes pounded Gaza in response to the unprecedented attack.
What Hamas has done is horrendous and undefendable but there’s no military solution to removing extremism. They’ll just end up killing many more civilians than Hamas has murdered and cementing the next generation of extremists.
Israel will likely be able to crush Hamas as an organization but I doubt anything better will rise from its ashes. I’m certain it was Hamas’ goal to trigger such a reaction and with the escalation triggering a wider conflict.
That’s basically Netanyahu’s entire MO. This attack has been a real boon for his brand of politics, especially given his recently waning support and legal troubles.
I don’t think it was Hamas’ calculation. That scenario assumes Hamas members literally dead.