Israel’s war with Hamas has no end in sight

Israel’s conflict with Hamas is set to be a long one—with both sides struggling to accomplish their fundamental aims and no clear path to any kind of enduring peace. -

Israel has sworn to destroy Hamas as a significant military and political force. Hamas is committed to the long-term goal of erasing the Israeli state.

The irreconcilable stakes are existential for both. And that means that even if a cease-fire halts the current round of fighting in Gaza, the struggle between Israel and Hamas will continue.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said his country would continue its current war in Gaza until it achieves Hamas’s complete destruction. “There is no substitute for total victory over our enemies," Netanyahu said Thursday.

The Israeli military’s limited progress so far in eliminating Hamas in the enclave is increasingly sowing doubt in Israel about whether Netanyahu’s stated goal is achievable any time soon.

International pressure is rising for a lengthy cease-fire that would allow the freeing of more than 100 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, as well as increased deliveries of humanitarian aid for the enclave’s civilian population.

The cease-fire terms demanded by Israel and Hamas remain far apart, and a deal is uncertain. So too is whether a prolonged cease-fire would mark the end of the current war or merely a pause.

If there is no cease-fire, senior Israeli officers say the military is likely to keep fighting Hamas in Gaza for many months, possibly for the rest of this year, until it has taken full control.

At that point, Israel would face a dilemma. If Israeli forces maintain a lengthy occupation of Gaza—which Netanyahu has said won’t happen—they could become the target of a