Former Israeli National Security Council Chief Giora Eiland stressed the need to stop the war on the Gaza Strip now, warning that its continuation will not change the reality there, and will lead to the death of all prisoners and the killing of more soldiers.

Eiland considered, in an article published in the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, that continuing the war for another year will not achieve any achievements for Israel, and will not bring any strategic benefit, while "human losses among Israeli soldiers and hostages will escalate without a fundamental change in the equation of the conflict."

He said, "If we continue fighting in Gaza for another 6 months, or a year, it will not change the reality there. Only two things will happen: all the detainees will die and more soldiers will be killed."

Despite his claim that it is possible to try to improve the terms of the deal, especially with regard to the number of Palestinians who will be released in exchange for each living Israeli prisoner, he stressed that "there is no need to insist on nonsense, especially not on the Philadelphi Corridor."

This is in reference to the position of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, which refuses to withdraw from this axis with the borders on Egypt in any deal reached with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

Reasons for stopping the war

In his article, Eiland presented 4 reasons that he believes are strong and push for the need to stop the war in Gaza immediately, considering that the most important reason is that "human losses have become greater than any possible gains."

He also highlighted the new variable in Israeli society, saying, "In the past, the Israeli people felt great sadness for every soldier killed in battle, but this feeling has turned into a kind of cruelty and indifference, as society no longer cries for soldiers as it did in the past."

He added, "Our hearts have become cruel to the death of soldiers, our best sons, and soldiers are not only exposed to killing, but many soldiers suffer physical and psychological injuries that affect their entire lives, such as the loss of limbs or sight, which completely destroys their future."

The Israeli general also pointed to another reason, which is the enormous pressure on the soldiers, especially the reservists, who he said "suffer from complex economic and family circumstances, which make the continuation of the war an unbearable burden."

In addition, the Israeli general believes that the economic cost of the war makes its continuation unfeasible. According to Eiland, about half a billion shekels ($132.3 million) are spent every day of fighting, which burdens the Israeli economy.

He says that although the Lebanese front is currently receiving the greatest focus, the drain on resources in Gaza will cast a heavy shadow on the economy in the near future.

Eiland adds another reason lies in the international position demanding an end to the operations in Gaza. He says that "the fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon is more understood, but the world does not understand what we want to achieve in Gaza, and this puts Israel in diplomatic isolation."

Priority for the prisoners

On the other hand, Eiland believes that any agreement with Hamas should have the sole goal of freeing the detainees, without demanding any additional concessions from Hamas, but he believes that the real battle is with regional parties, such as the United States, Egypt and Qatar, which he calls for pressure to ensure that Gaza is not rebuilt unless Hamas disarms.

He said, “Gaza is completely destroyed. Hamas will not be able to rebuild its strength unless there is a massive reconstruction project. We will not allow this without a mechanism that systematically destroys what remains of the military infrastructure.”

Eiland claims that “there is a potential disappointment among the residents of Gaza toward Hamas, but this popular rebellion will not happen as long as the war continues, and as long as Israeli forces are present in the Gaza Strip,” noting that “prolonging military operations will lead to continued suffering of the population and renewed hostilities.”

The Israeli general was keen to emphasize the statement that “a war aimed at removing a threat is necessary and justifies the high costs involved, but this is not the situation in Gaza.”

Eiland blamed the Israeli government, saying: "Unfortunately, the Israeli government does not follow this logic, and does not even meet to discuss the choice between two alternatives: continuing the war in Gaza until the final victory, or preparing to end the war in Gaza in exchange for the return of all the detainees." 

Source: Yedioth Ahronoth + Al Jazeera