Israel stands on the precipice of a decisive victory over its adversaries. As the military campaign in Gaza resumes, Hamas finds itself with almost no options and even fewer allies. Its infrastructure has been decimated, and its argument that the war with Israel was over has unraveled. Meanwhile, the Houthis in Yemen are preoccupied with their battles against U.S. forces. Hezbollah finds itself deeply wounded and withdrawn from Southern Lebanon and Syria, as well as unable to help Hamas. Similarly, Iran is in no position to help or support Hamas. Israel, undeterred, continues its operations in Gaza, while Hamas struggles to assert any meaningful control.
This decisive shift is reinforced by a looming geopolitical earthquake: a Saudi-Israel-U.S. normalization deal. The Arab world is realigning, and Hamas, along with Iran and its proxies, can see the writing on the wall. Adding to this in a stunning reversal, Cairo has agreed to allow up to half a million Palestinians to “temporarily” resettle in the Sinai. This is more than just a policy shift; it is an admission that Gaza, as it once was, is no longer viable.
This is no small concession. At the core of this shift is the fact that as long as Hamas refuses to surrender hostages and relinquish control, no meaningful reconstruction in Gaza can take place. Israel has shown no indication that it will cease military operations, while Hamas has shown no willingness to disarm, leave Gaza or return all the hostages.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that Somaliland has agreed to take in Palestinian refugees, further eliminating the argument that Gaza cannot be emptied of its terrorist rulers. Slowly but surely, the pieces are falling into place for a long-term solution that neutralizes Hamas once and for all.
With the newly appointed Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Israel is poised to complete its mission. Paradoxically, the primary opposition to Israel’s march toward victory comes from within the country itself. Elements of the Israeli left, segments of the retired military establishment and certain political factions continue to resist the full realization of Israel’s military and strategic objectives. However, the return of 198 out of 251 hostages is a testament to the effectiveness of Israel’s operations and its willingness to engage in “deals” with its barbaric enemies to secure its people. It’s important to recognize that the status quo of partial victories, where reservists are required to return to the same positions every four to six years, is untenable for reservists and Israel at large.
The broader strategic landscape only reinforces this total victory. The Trump administration’s unflinching support for Israel—its direct action against the Houthis in Yemen, its maximum pressure campaign on Iran and its willingness to “open the gates of hell” on Hamas—has provided Israel with a perfect window to complete what it started. It is no coincidence that Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has recently reiterated the same message: if Hamas does not return every last hostage, “The gates of hell will open.”
It is now clearer than ever that Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks were not just acts of terror—they were acts of desperation. Hamas saw normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia coming and recognized it as the final nail in the coffin of the so-called Arab-Israeli conflict. They understood what that meant for their prospects of realizing their dreams of destroying Israel, and that their brutal assault was a last-ditch effort akin to a Hail Mary pass (in American football terms) to stop it.
As events continue to unfold, Israel’s position continues to reveal itself. The world is witnessing the final unraveling of Hamas, the crumbling of Iran’s regional proxies, and the emergence of a new Middle East order. Israel is winning decisively. The only question is whether Israeli society will allow itself to complete the victory or if internal discord will squander this opportunity. Israel is on the last leg of a long marathon, and the finish line is around the corner.