Israel cannot achieve total military victory against Hamas, but there are many kinds of victories it can achieve before the Palestinians change enough to make peace possible.
Hamas miscalculated its strength and support; erred in ending the six-month ceasefire with Israel; unwisely offended and threatened Egypt; and misread Israeli politics.
The IDF gets an interim, mixed assessment for its early performance
in the war against Hamas, in three spheres: (a) public communications; (b) treatment of reservists; and (c) performance of the Rear Command.