After a seven-day temporary truce that saw over 100 Hamas-held hostages released in exchange for three times as many Palestinian prisoners, the fighting in Gaza has resumed. Unsurprisingly, calls for a ceasefire have also resumed with a renewed pitch.
Ironically, if there’s one thing the pro-Israel and pro-Palestine camps agree on, it’s that neither wants to see Israel’s soldiers fighting inside Gaza.
The last place Israel wants to send its fighting sons and daughters is to the Hamas-controlled enclave, with its booby-trapped buildings and its sprawling underground network of tunnels from which gunmen emerge to launch ambushes.
But 15 years of lethal attacks have made clear there is no way to end Hamas’ terrorism without rooting out the organization once and for all. Hamas has openly promised to conduct Oct. 7-style attacks again and again. So even though Israel did not ask for this war, its only choice is to fight it fully.
Those who hoped the week-long pause would lead to a long-term ceasefire misunderstand Hamas, which has a long history of breaking ceasefires. Four days into last week’s truce, the group detonated explosive devices near........