I have never seen a war in which the “day after” is discussed as much as the war being waged against Hamas in Gaza. Israel appears to be on the road to victory, but there are still months of fighting up ahead. Because it is a guerrilla war, there has to be flexibility in understanding that it is a complex process. The fact that Hamas terrorists dress and blend in as civilians makes it even harder.
A number of hostages said their captors were dressed as civilians and held in their homes. This is why entering Rafah is so important. Many hostages remain in the tunnels, but a good number are being held by the so-called civilian population. The West still has not wrapped its collective brain around the fact that 72% of the Gaza population totally agreed with the savagery, barbarism, and atrocities carried out against Jews on October 7. As was the case with the UNRWA, the civilian population aides and abets Hamas. It actively participates in acts of terrorism and switches to Hamas regalia when needed. The use of human shields is well established but completely forgotten by the media when Israel hits a major target.
No one wants to see innocents hurt. Speaking to my Israeli friends, civilian deaths in Gaza are in the tens or at most in the hundreds but not in the thousands. The high number of civilian deaths propagandized by Hamas is a false narrative. Even President Biden mentioned this before he started losing support in the key swing state of Michigan. Hamas also does not distinguish between the number of Hamas terrorists and civilians killed. They are lumped together. This also makes the numbers emanating from Hamas totally inaccurate.
In any case, Hamas is losing badly. They have never suffered as crushing a blow as they are now. Thousands have surrendered. But until the leadership is caught and brought to justice, the war will go on.
The “day after” will be the day after Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif are brought to justice. That day will come. When it does, Israel has to not only re-establish the 22 towns that were torn down in 2005 but completely change Gaza forever. For 75 years of Israel’s existence, the 22 Arab countries that surround Israel were content to let Gaza be a festering sore that made Israel the “bad guy.” The Arabs allowed their brethren to suffer so Israel could be blamed and they could constantly beat up Israel over the fact. It is high time to fix the problem. A two-state solution will only allow many more October 7s to happen again. The population of Gaza must find a new home. This 6-mile by 25-mile strip of land cannot hold close to two million people. The world has to be willing to compensate each Gazan to move to a host country that will also be duly compensated. American support of Egypt, Yemen, Turkey, and Jordan in billions of dollars should make these countries perfect recipients for the Gazan refugees. The process would cost approximately $30 billion but Gaza would no longer be a launching pad for attacks against Israel.
Israel will have to come to grips with this idea but it is gaining steam on both sides of the aisle. It is doubtful President Biden would go along with such a plan, but in an election year, anything is possible. One thing is for sure: Gaza can never be ruled by Hamas again. The “day after” can really be made into “peace in our time,” or it can be a continuation of what the world has witnessed for the past 18 years.
Drastic steps are needed to make sure October 7 never happens again.
Joseph M. Frager is a physician and lifelong activist.
