A Limited and Violent Warning: Declarations about the return of war may have been premature. While Israel did strike Gaza yesterday for the first time in months, inflicting casualties and damage on Hamas, it appears at this stage that the operation was a calculated, violent warning aimed at bringing the terrorist organization back to serious negotiations over the hostages.
The overnight airstrike, which had been planned for weeks and lasted about ten minutes, targeted senior government officials and mid-level military commanders within Hamas. Israel made it clear once again that it does not distinguish between combatants and officials within the terrorist group.
Hamas was caught off guard by the attack, as it believed it had a degree of immunity. Now, its leaders—both in Gaza and abroad—must decide whether to return to negotiations and signal submission to force or to harden their positions, risking an escalation that could include a renewed ground invasion, something the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been intensely preparing for.
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir's visit to Rafah yesterday was meant to signal that the Israeli military is ready to act at any time. This message was directed not only at Hamas but also at Egypt and Qatar, which since the attack have intensified their efforts to restart negotiations before the war resumes in full force.
A wake-up call
Once the attack was carried out and its results became known, it was impossible not to think about the hostages still held alive in Gaza. Testimonies from those recently released left no room for doubt: their conditions have worsened, including beatings, starvation, and physical and psychological abuse, all directly tied to Israeli military actions.
Last night's appearance in Hostage Square by freed hostages Yarden Bibas, Iair Horn, Alexandre Sasha Troufanov, and Keith Siegel was not only a plea for their friends left behind, but also an urgent call for immediate action to secure their release.
It seems the Israeli government needs this wake-up call. Its statements yesterday, blaming Hamas alone for the stalled negotiations, presented only a partial picture of reality. Israel also bears responsibility, having chosen not to negotiate the second phase of the deal, instead attempting to extend the first phase. Furthermore, it has avoided commitments it previously made, most notably the withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor.
At this stage, Israel enjoys strong backing from the Trump administration - via envoy Steve Vitkoff - but the government repeatedly forgets that the hostages in Gaza are not American citizens but its own people, for whom it is responsible.
In this context, the renewed military campaign in Gaza requires better answers from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu than those given to the public so far. The situation today is different from that following the October 7 attack, when an overwhelming majority supported an immediate war. Now, most of the public prioritizes resolving the hostage crisis before continuing military operations.
Serious doubts remain about Israel's ability to achieve its war objectives without first addressing the hostage issue, especially amid growing indications of difficulties in recruiting the necessary manpower for the IDF's extensive operational tasks.
