The Test of the March of Return: Violence in the West Bank

The real test of Hamas’s March of Return campaign in Gaza lies in its ability to mobilize mass violence in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron, and other parts of the West Bank. So far, most of the Arab inhabitants of those areas are content to watch the events on their screens rather than in the streets while confronting Israeli troops.

Hamas Is an Abysmal Failure

Hamas has failed because it is caught between two irreconcilable principles: establishing a modern, functioning state that provides for its citizens while at the same time maintaining a perpetual state of war against the Jewish State. Neither the PLO’s nationalist ideology nor Hamas’s religious nationalism have served the interests of the Palestinian people. Only emirates based on local clans can operate legitimately in the Palestinian-controlled territories.

The Palestinian Way of War: The March of Return in Gaza

All Palestinian entities and organizations – from the PLO and PA through the factions, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Salafi groups – have long sought to kill or maim Israeli Jews and damage or destroy their property. The March of Return in Gaza, the latest Palestinian innovation, is similarly intended to lead to bloodshed. Hopefully, Israel will be able to quash the event to save both Israeli and Palestinian lives.

The Strategic Implications of Effective Population Defense Against Ballistic Missiles

Israel was the clear victor in the 2014 Gaza War. That Israel's war aims were achieved by a defensive rather than offensive strategy does not diminish the magnitude of its success.

How the IDF Is Training for War in Gaza

Military drills simulate what the Israel Defense Forces will face in a new kind of ground combat in Gaza – a kind that will inevitably involve civilians amid general chaos.

Reading Palestinian Responses to Trump’s Jerusalem Declaration

The PA and Hamas are hopeful that unorganized Palestinian youth will mobilize against President Trump’s declaration acknowledging that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. A groundswell from the streets would preclude the necessity for the two organizations to actively take the lead. However, the readers of al-Quds, the Palestinian silent majority, are loath to sacrifice their sons on behalf of the warring factions.

Fatah-Hamas Reconciliation: Resistance as an Expression of Faith

There is an expectation that the reconciliation trend between Fatah and Hamas will lead to the disarmament of the resistance, but the idea of resistance will remain whether it is armed or not.

The IDF’s Gaza Wall Might Change Hamas Strategy

Time may be running out for one of Hamas's main weapons against Israel: its cross-border terror tunnels. As Hamas loses its potency against Israel in Gaza, it is turning its attention to fanning the flames of terrorism in the West Bank.

Victory, Not Deterrence, Will Be Israel’s Goal if War Breaks Out Again in Gaza

Creating deterrence was Israel's goal in the last three conflicts it fought against Hamas, but that objective has been cast aside. Any future armed clash with Gaza's Islamist rulers will be guided by a new Israeli objective: that of achieving a crystal clear victory over the enemy.

Don’t Dismantle UNRWA; Reform Its Policies

The desire of Prime Minister Netanyahu to dismantle UNRWA, while understandable in light of the agency’s egregious history of collusion with Hamas, is not a practical proposition. Israel can, however, demand that funding to UNRWA be conditioned on the agency’s reform in multiple areas.