Israeli commentators warn Gaza devastation could strengthen Hamas

Concerns are emerging in Israel that continued devastation in Gaza could ultimately drive more support towards Hamas, even as members of the right-wing government in Israel press for an intensification of military operations.

According to commentary published in the Israeli newspaper Maariv, some analysts argue that leaving Gaza in ruins could lead to the rise of a more radical iteration of Hamas, making reconstruction a strategic interest for all sides.

Jacky Hugi, Arab affairs editor at Israeli army radio, wrote that Israeli policy and media coverage of Gaza appear to be reverting to patterns seen before the 7^th October attack. He suggested that public and media attention to Palestinian affairs has once again diminished.

Hugi recalled that on 12^th September 2023, Hamas’s military wing conducted a widely reported exercise simulating the infiltration of settlements and the capture of soldiers. He argued that the exercise received limited domestic attention at the time, as headlines were dominated by internal political turmoil, including controversy surrounding judicial reform debates before Israel’s Supreme Court.

“As journalists, we tell the public what it wants to hear, not necessarily what it needs to hear,” he wrote, adding that similar dynamics are now evident as Israeli attention shifts towards developments in Iran, leaving Gaza largely sidelined in public discourse.

He suggested that greater scrutiny of earlier warning signs might have prompted a different response, implying that complacency contributed to subsequent events.