by A K Kukkila; Editor, Sanmarga Kannada Media
When Israel attacked Gaza two years ago, it had two goals. One, to release the hostages. The other, to destroy Hamas. But at the end of these two years, the world saw that Israel could not even release the hostages. It could not even destroy Hamas. Instead, it washed its hands of the situation by releasing 2,000 Palestinian prisoners for its 20. This includes 250 people who have been sentenced to life imprisonment.
What compelled Israel to make such an agreement? Doesn’t this agreement indicate that Israel has been able to kill 70,000 civilians in Gaza and cause immense destruction, but has not been able to achieve its specific goals? Israel faces challenges in Gaza that are different from the pro-Israeli stories we read in the media. The Israeli army has failed to meet those challenges. The fact that it has failed to free its citizens from Hamas hostages even after two years is a good example of this.
The fact that Hamas activists were standing guard and controlling the situation during the hostage release, dressed in police uniforms, suggests that the news we have been reading is not the end of the story. Perhaps Hamas has retained its power. The Israeli army has failed to penetrate its fortress.
