In the magazine “The Nation”: Israel is losing the war in Gaza
Experts liken the October 7 operation to the Tet Offensive in 1968, carried out by the Vietnamese rebels against American bases, leading to Washington's defeat despite significant losses suffered by the insurgents
Writers Tony Carson and Daniel Levy reported in an article published in the American magazine “The Nation” that Israel is approaching the loss of the battle it is leading against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They affirm that Palestinian factions, despite their limited numbers and equipment, have become capable of standing toe-to-toe with the well-armed Israel, which enjoys substantial Western support.
The authors warn in their report that Israel may lose this war against Hamas and the Palestinian factions, despite its destructive war and the militants’ lack of sophisticated weapons and international and regional support, unlike Israel.
They emphasize that both Hamas and Israel are seeking to impose their conditions and visions, which may lead to a significant change, perhaps the most notable since the 1948 war. They stress that the situation in the region cannot return to what it was before the outbreak of the war.
Referring to the shock of Hamas‘s attack on October 7th, especially the movement’s ability to neutralize Israeli military installations, break the gates of the world’s largest open prison, and kill about 1,200 Israelis and capture 240 others, the report compares it to the Tet Offensive in 1968.
Despite the differences between the two cases, considering that the Tet Offensive was part of the American intervention in a distant land, while Israel‘s war is defending its occupation internally, the analysts draw parallels in their long-term political goals.
The report acknowledges that, despite the Viet Cong’s loss in the Tet Offensive, resulting in casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and the undermining of their political and military capabilities, it had a significant impact on the war that ended in Washington’s defeat and withdrawal.
The analysts state that dramatic high-level attacks on over 100 targets across Vietnam in one day were a unique act that shattered the armed Vietnamese groups using light weapons, challenging the success promoted by former President Johnson’s administration to the American people.
They add that the surprise operation demonstrated to Americans that the war, for which they sacrificed tens of thousands of their sons, could not be won, drawing a parallel to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s statement is quoted, emphasizing the difference in strategies: “We fought a military war; our opponents fought a political battle. We sought physical exhaustion; our opponents aimed for psychological exhaustion.”
Commenting on this, John Alterman from the Center for Strategic and International Studies suggests that Israel faces a significant existential threat if it loses to Hamas.
Alterman states that Hamas seeks to “exploit the violence of the Israeli army to recruit Palestinians,” noting that Israel’s strength allows it to kill Palestinian civilians, destroy Palestinian infrastructure, and defy international calls for restraint, all of which reinforce Hamas‘s war goals.
The magazine concludes that the weeks following October 7th indicate that a return to the previous situation is unlikely. Many in the Israeli leadership openly call for completing the Nakba, meaning ethnic cleansing in Palestine, and these voices are now amplified.
