Israel's Predicament: Who'll Be In Charge of Gaza?

"Is Real Target Hamas Rule?"
A1, News Analysis, Sunday 1/4/09
By Ethan Bronner

If Hamas' rockets can't be stopped while Hamas remains in power, then is the real aim of Israel's operation to remove Hamas, no matter the cost? A good question highlights the opening paragraph.

There has been much speculation on the fate of Hamas' control of Gaza and of Israeli intentions. Bronner's analysis fairly points to the dilemma faced by Israel if it deposes the Hamas regime, leaving a power vacuum. Bronner also states that "Israel fears any letup will validate the militants."

Bronner speculates that one of Israel's targets, government buildings, "suggests" its "choice of assault tactics could head" toward Hamas being overthrown "anyway". He states that these buildings have been "reduced to rubble without any claim that they were military in nature." In making this point, Bronner appears to contradict himself.

He quotes Capt. Benjamin Rutland, spokesman for the Israeli military, who says that the buildings "are a place where financial, logistical and human resources serve to support terror."

Saying these buildings provided "logistical support" for operations against Israel certainly seems like a claim that these buildings were "military in nature".

Bronner does a good job with a point-counterpoint on a comparison with Israel's 2006 campaign against Hezbollah. Ultimately, the comparison's biggest problem, as Bronner states, is that Hamas' arsenal cannot be easily replenished, as Hezbollah's was though Syria.

Interestingly, Bronner doesn't mention that a key objective, articulated in a statement by the Israeli military, and quoted in this edition's other front page article, of the ground operation was "taking control" of the rocket launching sites. As untenable is it sounds, this may pave the way for the handover to a Turkish and Arab peacekeeping force. Again, this is not a likely scenario, but considering the dearth of options, this idea being discussed in the recent cease-fire talk and argued specifically by Martin Indyk and even stated by an article in the same edition's Week in Review, this scenario and its flaws could've been mentioned.

Bronner appropriately ends his analysis repeating the question, "who will be in charge when it is all over?" The lack of clear answers he provides only indicates the profound challenge facing Israel. This is a point that should've been spelled out.