France and the USA urge Israel to rethink its war strategy
Commenting on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's aim to completely destroy Hamas, Macron said: "What is the complete destruction of Hamas and does anyone believe it is possible? If so, the war will last ten years." The French president called for "intensified efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire".
Macron traveled on from Dubai to Doha on Saturday to meet Qatar's head of state, Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. Qatar plays a leading mediating role in the war between Israel and Hamas. However, when Macron arrived in the Qatari capital, Israel had already ordered its negotiator back from there because the talks on a renewed ceasefire in the Gaza Strip were at an "impasse".
On Friday morning, a seven-day ceasefire between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas, which had been used for the release of Hamas hostages and aid deliveries for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, expired. The Israeli army then continued its military operation against Hamas, while the radical Islamic Palestinian organization again fired rockets at Israel.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called on Israel to ensure the protection of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. Speaking at a defense forum in California on Saturday, he said he had "learned a thing or two about warfare in urban areas" when he fought in Iraq and led the US offensive against the jihadist militia Islamic State (IS).
"Like Hamas, IS was deeply embedded in urban areas," Austin said. "And the international alliance against IS has worked hard to protect civilians and establish humanitarian corridors even during the fiercest fighting."
"The lesson is not that you can win a war in urban areas by protecting civilians," the US Secretary of Defense concluded. "The lesson is that you can only win a war in urban areas by protecting civilians." When armed forces "drive the civilian population into the arms of the enemy", they turn "a tactical victory into a strategic defeat", warned Austin.
On October 7, hundreds of Hamas fighters invaded Israel and committed atrocities, mainly against civilians. According to Israeli reports, around 1200 people were killed in Israel and around 240 people were taken hostage.
In response, Israel shelled targets in the Gaza Strip from the air and on the ground on a massive scale for weeks. According to Hamas, which cannot be independently verified, more than 15,000 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory since then, including more than 6,000 children and young people.
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- The USA, alongside France, is urging Israel to reconsider its war strategy against Hamas, with the complete destruction of Hamas being a questionable and potentially lengthy endeavor according to French President Emmanuel Macron.
- Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, aims for the total annihilation of Hamas, a position that Macron questions and calls for a more focused effort towards a lasting ceasefire.
- Macron visited Qatar, a significant mediator in the Israel-Hamas conflict, on Saturday, finding the peace talks in the Gaza Strip at an impasse due to Israel's withdrawal of their negotiator.
- On the expiration of the seven-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on Friday morning, the Israeli military continued its assault on Hamas while Hamas retaliated with rocket attacks.
- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized the importance of protecting the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, citing past experiences in Iraq and the US counteroffensive against IS, where protecting civilians was vital to strategic victory.
- Austin concluded that protecting civilians is critical in urban warfare, highlighting how neglecting civilian safety can lead to a tactical victory turning into a strategic defeat.
- On October 7, Hamas infiltrated Israel, committing atrocities against civilians, resulting in an estimated 1200 fatalities and 240 hostage-takings in Israel, according to Israeli reports.
- In retaliation, Israel launched a major military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, targeting areas extensively for weeks, according to Hamas, resulting in the deaths of more than 15,000 people and over 6,000 children and youth since then.
- Despite the ongoing conflict, France and the USA continue to encourage Israel to reevaluate its strategy, stressing the importance of minimizing civilian casualties and seeking peaceful resolutions.
- Netanyahu and Hamas are at odds, and leaders like Macron, Austin, and Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani of Qatar, play crucial roles in negotiating an end to the violence and protecting the civilian population within the Gaza Strip.
- To this end, world leaders and organizations must maintain a stance on admonishing Hamas for its aggressive tactics and urging Israel to consider better strategies for protecting both their armed forces and the civilian population in Gaza.
Source: www.stern.de
