Who Will Scream First: Israel or the Resistance?

“Choose between two options: a clarifying war or a humiliating peace.” These were the words of the first Caliph, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, addressing the tribes that turned away from Islam after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This phrase has become a classic metaphor, describing situations where there are no half-measures between two adversaries locked in a zero-sum conflict. It’s a choice between defeating the enemy outright or forcing them into a shameful surrender. This analogy is relevant to many past and current conflicts in our region, perhaps none more so than Gaza.

The Absence of Yahya Sinwar: An Opening for Criticism

As we mark the first anniversary of the martyrdom of Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, who was killed in combat in Rafah, criticism against the resistance has grown. To Netanyahu and his allies, Sinwar’s absence represented the fall of their staunchest adversary, one who had shattered the aura of the “Israeli Defense Forces” and hit “Israel” in ways it had never experienced before.

Critics of the resistance have pointed to the heavy toll of lives lost and the widespread destruction in Gaza. The intensified aggression in the north only adds to this bleak picture. However, there are crucial aspects of this narrative that remain untold, as calls for the Palestinian resistance in Gaza to surrender grow louder, both implicitly and explicitly.

Such calls have also begun to question the effectiveness of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, framing it within a narrow perspective of gain and loss, treating it as a mere skirmish rather than a broader conflict that has changed equations and opened new horizons.

Who Is Responsible for Continuing the War?

There are critical questions that need answering, questions to which Israelis might have better answers than Palestinians themselves. Who is responsible for prolonging the war? Who is bombing civilians indiscriminately with barrel bombs? Who is sending leaders into battle before their soldiers? Who is closer to surrender: the one who failed to meet their objectives, or the one who pledged a long war of attrition and kept that promise?

Persistent Calls for Surrender

Political writer and researcher Nazir Al-Kandouri emphasizes that calls for Hamas to surrender to the Israeli enemy are nothing new. Since the onset of ground battles initiated by the occupation forces in Gaza, such appeals have been a recurring theme, yet they have consistently fallen on deaf ears—both among the Palestinian resistance and the people of Gaza.

Speaking to “Arabi21,” Al-Kandouri stated that more than a year into the Israeli aggression on Gaza, the enemy, along with its regional allies, deludes itself into thinking that the time is ripe to pressure the resistance into surrendering. This is especially true following the occupation’s successful strikes against Hezbollah, which Netanyahu sees as a way to fulfill his declared war goals: freeing prisoners without any deals or concessions to the Palestinian resistance.

According to Al-Kandouri, “These calls, championed by Netanyahu and his government, bear full responsibility for failing to secure a prisoner exchange deal and end the war in Gaza.”

Al-Kandouri further points out that what makes such calls particularly painful for Palestinians, especially the resistance fighters, is that they are voiced by Arab figures who represent regimes aligned with “Israel’s” agenda to dismantle the resistance factions and liquidate the Palestinian cause.

The Upper Hand: Who Has It?

From the start of the war, both sides set their objectives—some openly, others behind closed doors. Netanyahu spoke of liberating prisoners through force and toppling Hamas. This has not been achieved, although he partially succeeded in assassinating Hamas leaders. Meanwhile, the resistance vowed a prolonged war of attrition in Gaza, which is part of a wider conflict that could engulf the region, a promise that continues to manifest on the ground.

An American report by The New York Times, written by Patrick Kingsley and Aron Boxerman, highlighted the killing of an Israeli colonel in Jabalia as a clear example of Hamas’s resilience, which has endured for almost a year and is expected to continue even after the loss of its leader, Yahya Sinwar, last week.

Despite Israel’s efforts to destroy them, Hamas fighters continue to operate from demolished buildings and an extensive underground network of tunnels, most of which remain intact, according to military analysts and Israeli soldiers. The fighters emerge briefly in small units to rig buildings, plant roadside bombs, attach mines to Israeli armored vehicles, or launch rocket attacks before retreating underground.

While Hamas cannot defeat Israel in a head-on confrontation, their small-scale, hit-and-run tactics have allowed them to keep hurting Israel while avoiding defeat, as the report noted.

The Unending War

Israeli military analyst Michael Milstein, discussing the situation, stated, “We occupy the land, and then we exit. This type of doctrine means that we find ourselves in a never-ending war.”

The newspaper further reported, “Since Israel took control of a main road dividing north and south Gaza in November last year, the southern leadership of Hamas, including Sinwar, has exercised minimal direct control over the fighters in the north. After more than a year of guerrilla-style warfare, it’s likely that the remaining Hamas fighters are now accustomed to making local decisions without central command.”

Who Will Cry Out First?

Israeli General Giora Eiland was among the most optimistic proponents of a plan to evacuate Gaza’s population to eliminate resistance fighters. But as soon as the occupation began implementing this plan, he published an article in Yedioth Ahronoth calling for ending the war through a prisoner exchange.

He stated, “Continuing the war in Gaza will not change the reality there. Only two things will happen: all the hostages will die, and more soldiers will be killed. The situation in Gaza will remain unchanged.”

Eiland then listed four additional reasons to end the war: the loss of life, the strain on soldiers, economic burdens, and mounting international pressure. He concluded by criticizing the Israeli government’s failure to choose between prolonging the war or preparing to end it in exchange for the return of hostages.

Has the Resistance Ended?

Those advocating for surrender have used Sinwar’s martyrdom to push their new agenda, as if the resistance has collapsed with the assassination of its leaders. However, Israeli and Western reports paint a different picture. Meir Ben-Shabbat, former National Security Council head and director of the Misgav Institute for National Security Studies, remarked that “although Sinwar’s assassination is a significant achievement, it is not enough to declare Hamas defeated.”

He added, “Over the past decades, Hamas has demonstrated its ability to withstand severe crises. Therefore, Tel Aviv must continue its efforts in Gaza until the hostages are returned, and all war objectives are achieved.”

The Storm of Al-Aqsa: A Strategic Turning Point

Many believe that the Al-Aqsa Flood operation is still in its early stages, and its expansion is only a matter of time. Therefore, questioning its effectiveness is premature, especially if the inquiry is based on short-term metrics that do not apply to a major strategic battle like this.

Nazir Al-Kandouri explains, “Nations under occupation understand that starting a war for independence is no easy task. It can take years and costs countless lives. Often, revolutions fail multiple times before ultimately succeeding.”

He added, “Palestinians are no exception. We never expected the Al-Aqsa Flood to liberate all of Palestine overnight. However, it has laid the groundwork for a new era of Palestinian resistance that will be passed down to future generations.”

The Israeli occupation has been exposed to the world, its narrative dismantled. No longer is it seen as a benevolent, democratic state. The Al-Aqsa Flood has revealed its brutal nature, likening it to the world’s most oppressive regimes. This constitutes a major strategic victory for the Palestinian people on their road to liberation.