August 2024: Israel's Resilient Campaign in the War Against Genocidal-Hamas

August 2024: Israel's Resilient Campaign in the War Against Genocidal-Hamas

In the wake of Hamas’s barbaric October 7, 2023 massacre—where over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were slaughtered, entire families burned alive in their homes, and 254 innocents dragged into Gaza as human shields—Israel launched a justified and necessary war to dismantle Hamas’s genocidal infrastructure. This is Israel’s righteous battle to eradicate a terrorist regime that has vowed the Jewish state’s destruction and deliberately uses Palestinian civilians as expendable pawns, embedding military assets in schools, hospitals, and mosques.

By August 2024, despite these despicable tactics, the IDF had achieved remarkable tactical victories: the collapse of Hamas’s Rafah Brigade, the neutralization of 80% of smuggling tunnels along the Philadelphi Corridor, and the elimination of over 2,000 terrorists in Rafah alone. These successes underscore Israel’s moral and military superiority even as strategic challenges persist.

Navigating the Inherent Tension of War Goals

Beyond Hamas’s cynical exploitation of civilians and civilian infrastructure, the deeper crisis lies in the painful tension between two sacred objectives: defeating Hamas and bringing every hostage home alive.

“The justification from the Israeli right-wing… is that stopping the war to secure the release of hostages would unleash another holocaust on Israel by Hamas for many years, similar to what happened to us on October 7, 2023. According to them, the number of civilians who will be killed in the future is much greater than the number of hostages we would save now.”
— Former IDF Maj. Gen. Itzhak Brik, Maariv, 25 July 2024

Seizing Opportunities Amid Adversity

Hamas’s ability to fire sporadic rockets after nearly eleven months reflects desperation, not strength. Israel’s targeted assassinations, precision incursions, and the complete routing of Hamas’s Rafah Brigade—including the destruction of 150 tunnels and the collapse of its command structure—demonstrate adaptive prowess against an enemy fortified by decades of diverted humanitarian aid.

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s three declared goals remain unchanged: eradicate Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, liberate every hostage, and ensure Gaza is governed by non-terrorist entities. Progress is undeniable—no active cross-border tunnels remain operational, and Hamas forces in Rafah were forced to flee northward in disarray.

Refining Military Operations for Enduring Security

The duration of the war stems largely from Hamas’s vast underground “Gaza Metro.” By August 2024, however, the IDF had demolished 13 kilometers of tunnels in Rafah alone and sealed the Philadelphi Corridor, turning Hamas’s subterranean advantage into a liability.

Military analyst Giora Eiland noted that U.S. pressure to reduce civilian casualties—despite Hamas’s deliberate use of human shields—led to operational pauses that allowed terrorist regrouping. Eiland argued that a tighter siege on the Philadelphi Corridor, while maintaining humanitarian corridors, would have shortened the war dramatically and saved lives on both sides.

The Perils of Prolonged Conflict: Iran’s Strategy

“Netanyahu’s strategy of ‘absolute victory’ serves the Iranian strategy, which aims to entangle Israel in a prolonged war of attrition on multiple fronts simultaneously, until Israel collapses.”
— Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin, former head of INSS, 8 August 2024

Yadlin’s warning underscores the need for decisive, short campaigns and Arab coalitions against the Iranian axis—precisely the direction Israel is now pursuing with growing regional support.

Hamas’s Fragile Survival: A Tactical Reprieve, Not Victory

International mediators increasingly accept Hamas remaining in power, and premature ceasefire deals risk allowing the terror group to siphon reconstruction funds—as it has repeatedly done—to rebuild tunnels beneath schools and hospitals.

Yet Israel’s battlefield gains have rendered Hamas’s “survival” pyrrhic: its battalions shattered, its smuggling routes severed, its leadership in hiding. The Jewish state, forged in defiance of genocide, will prevail—honoring the victims of October 7 with lasting security and peace on its own terms.