Summary
Dismantling Hamas both militarily and politically is a non-negotiable prerequisite for achieving lasting peace in Gaza. Any ceasefire that leaves Hamas in power, even partially, is seen as a threat that would allow the group to rearm and continue cycles of violence. Humanitarian aid must be delivered through independent channels that bypass Hamas’s control. A humanitarian zone in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula could provide temporary refuge for civilians and facilitate aid delivery without long-term displacement. Israel’s military strategy involves deliberate, careful operations to dismantle Hamas infrastructure and rescue hostages, acknowledging that this will be a slow and dangerous process.
Support for local Palestinian groups, which have begun to resist Hamas and govern parts of Gaza, is essential to building a post-Hamas future. At the same time, Israel must counter disinformation and international double standards through transparent communication, including regular press briefings. “Finishing the job” is not simply political rhetoric—it is a strategic imperative that involves eliminating Hamas’s influence, safeguarding civilians, and laying the groundwork for peace and stability in the region.
Hamas has refused to negotiate the return of hostages or discuss disarmament. In a brief exchange about his disappointment in Hamas, President Trump recently said, “It got to a point where you’re gonna have to finish the job.” But what does “finishing the job” in Gaza actually mean? What options remain, what is likely to happen next, and what would help?
War is inherently uncertain, so no one can say with confidence what will happen next in Gaza. The outcome will also depend entirely on the decisions of Israel and Israeli society. This war is not taking place in a vacuum. It is unfolding in a historically complex moment filled with strategic shifts, costs, and geopolitical consequences for Israel, the United States, and other nations.
If you want a clear and direct expression of Israel’s position on the war against Hamas in Gaza, I highly recommend this episode of the One Jewish State podcast, where former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman sits down with Ron Dermer, Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs:
Nonetheless, here are some my thoughts, based on principles of war, international precedent, some needed context, and what I have seen firsthand on the ground.
1. Establish the Baseline: Accept Israel’s Just War Aims
Global recognition of Israel’s legitimate and just war objectives must be the starting point. Many voices calling for an immediate ceasefire argue, implicitly or explicitly, that the war can end without removing Hamas’s military capabilities or political power. Some even suggest that if Hamas were to return the hostages, often in exchange for hundreds of prisoners, the war should stop.
That position is fundamentally flawed. Any resolution that allows Hamas to retain power, even partially, ensures that the group will rebuild and repeat this cycle of violence in the future. Only the full military and political removal of Hamas from Gaza can create the conditions necessary for lasting peace.
For more on this, check out my article, “Why No One Should Want a Ceasefire in Gaza Until There Is a Clear Defeat of Hamas,” here:
2. Flood Humanitarian Aid into Gaza Prioritizing Ways Without Hamas Control
Humanitarian assistance should not prolong Hamas’s rule. That means aid must be delivered through mechanisms that do not rely on or empower Hamas. The U.S.–Israeli initiative known as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), launched in May, has demonstrated a successful model. In just five weeks, GHF has delivered nearly 100 million meals directly to civilians, feeding one to two million Gazans per day. The key is bypassing Hamas and removing food from its system of control and coercion. By restoring food access outside of Hamas control, Israel helps shift civilian reliance away from the terror group’s shadow governance.
3. Confront Hamas’s Attacks on Aid and Information
Hamas responded to the aid bypassing its authority by launching attacks and sowing chaos. They disrupted distribution lines, shot at civilians en route to receive aid, and deliberately provoked confrontations near IDF security zones. These incidents were then amplified through disinformation campaigns that spread quickly through international media outlets. These reports often omitted the role of Hamas in sparking the violence and ignored the efforts of GHF and the IDF to protect civilians and maintain order.
4. Break the Bottleneck of UN Inaction
These Hamas-instigated attacks coincided with the United Nations suspending aid deliveries into Gaza, citing security concerns. At the same time, the UN refused to allow Israel to secure their convoys or the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to assist in distributing food directly. As a result, nearly 1,000 trucks were left sitting inside Gaza. Only after significant international pressure did the UN resume picking up and distributing the aid.
5. Highlight Progress: Aid Is Flowing Again
While headlines often focus on Hamas-driven chaos and warnings of famine, the reality on the ground is beginning to shift. More food is now flowing into Gaza. Hundreds of United Nations aid trucks are being distributed daily. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) continues to deliver up to two million meals a day across four sites. It has also established a system that allows approved groups to pick up aid and deliver it to the most vulnerable areas.
GHF is actively working to expand its operations even further. In addition, Israel has announced that air drops and humanitarian pauses will resume to ensure that aid reaches those who have not yet been able to access it.
6. Create a Safe Humanitarian Zone in Sinai
The most decisive step to accelerate the defeat of Hamas would be the establishment of a humanitarian zone just inside Egypt’s Sinai region. This is not the same as simply saying “move civilians into Egypt.” The Sinai is a vast, mostly unpopulated region (approximately 23,500 square miles) that offers space to create a secure, temporary refuge. A designated zone a few kilometers inside the Egyptian border would allow the UN and humanitarian organizations to safely provide food, water, medical care, and other services.
With assistance from the international community, such a site could be established within a week or two. Ambassador Ron Dermer has even suggested that the United Nations Security Council could pass a resolution guaranteeing that displaced civilians will have the ability to return after the war. This would ensure that the temporary relocation is lawful, humane, and reversible – not forced displacement.
7. Continue Civilian Notifications and Evacuations
Even without a Sinai humanitarian zone, the IDF will and should continue issuing evacuation warnings and notifications to encourage civilians to leave major combat areas. This practice is essential for reducing civilian harm in densely populated and contested terrain.
8. Systematic Targeting of Hamas and Its Infrastructure
War is the use of force to compel an enemy to do your will. In this case, that means forcing Hamas to release hostages, surrender control, and for both Hamas and the population to acknowledge their defeat. The Israel Defense Forces will continue to re-enter contested areas to systematically target Hamas fighters, collect intelligence on the location of hostages, dismantle Hamas infrastructure, and clear Gaza of their military presence.
This is a slow, deliberate, and dangerous process. From close-quarters combat to tunnel detection and destruction, there are few options for defeating a well-embedded enemy in dense urban terrain. That terrain includes concrete fortresses, rigged schools, and vast tunnel networks beneath civilian homes. All parties should understand that this cannot and should not be rushed. Clearing a single neighborhood may take months. Hamas spent over 20 years militarizing the Gaza Strip. That will not be undone quickly.
To be clear, this is not a call for a forever war in Gaza. This is a clear-eyed statement of what it will take to accomplish step one of the “clear, hold, build” model. There can be no holding or building anything until the guns are taken from Hamas. Defeating Hamas’s control over territory and the population is the essential first step. Nothing else can exist in Gaza until that is done.
For a good conversation about this, listen to my interview with Lieutenant General (ret.) H.R. McMaster. He commanded the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment during the 2005 Battle of Tal Afar, one of the most studied urban operations in the Iraq War. In our discussion, we explored how his team cleared insurgents, held the city, and helped rebuild local governance. We also discussed whether and how any of those lessons apply to Gaza. Listen here:
Gaza is its own environment, with its own population and pressures. But the principle remains. Before anything meaningful can be built, the threat must be removed. Once areas are cleared of Hamas, Israel can begin to explore what force will provide security, and which Palestinian actors can help facilitate stabilize areas. But none of that is possible if Hamas remains intact. Their defeat is the non-negotiable first step.
9. Support Non-Hamas Groups Building Alternatives
A proven method in warfare is to support groups that oppose the enemy. In Gaza, that means identifying, encouraging, and empowering actors who are not affiliated with Hamas and who are actively challenging its control or building areas outside of its reach. This approach does not conflict with the ultimate goal of fully demilitarizing Gaza after Hamas is removed. On the contrary, it helps erode Hamas’s power base more quickly and creates the conditions necessary for future governance and recovery.
There are early signs that this is already beginning. Last week, The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed titled “Gazans Are Finished With Hamas,” authored by the leader of a local Palestinian group called the Popular Forces. Read it:
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/gazans-are-finished-with-hamas-commander-popular-forces-5d9a6345
In the piece, the commander writes:
“The Popular Forces, an independent Palestinian group under my leadership, have secured several square kilometers of land that have been home to my Bedouin tribe, the Tarabin, for generations. For the past seven weeks, our neighborhood has become the only area in Gaza governed by a Palestinian administration not affiliated with Hamas since 2007. The effect has been tremendous: no more airstrike casualties, no chaotic aid lines, no evacuation orders, and no fear of booby-trapped homes or children being used as human shields by Hamas.”
He goes on to describe the personal losses that drove him to act:
“When Hamas killed my brother, Fathi Abu Shabab, and my cousin, Ibrahim Abu Shabab, for trying to secure aid for our family—and when 52 civilians under our care were murdered in their homes—I realized that silence is no longer an option. If we remain quiet now, we will never be free, cease-fire or not.”
Through local governance and community protection, groups like the Popular Forces offer a glimpse of what a post-Hamas Gaza might look like. The author reports that many families have already asked to relocate to the area they control in eastern Rafah. With proper support, he says, they are ready to take responsibility for the rest of Rafah. Within months, more than 600,000 people—nearly one-third of Gaza’s population—could be living outside the cycle of war.
This is not a theoretical proposal. It is happening now on the ground. And it is one of the most promising signs of hope emerging from the current conflict.
10. Mobilize Against the Information War
Israel must prepare for the disinformation campaigns that will only intensify as the war continues. False claims about military operations, aid distribution, and accusations of genocide need to be met with a clear and consistent response. One of the most effective tools is regular communication. Israel should hold daily press briefings that cover military, humanitarian, and political developments. Disinformation should be addressed directly and immediately as it emerges.
For example, the recent global push to accuse Israel of genocide should have been countered at once with verified facts and legal clarity. When false narratives are left unchallenged, they spread rapidly and become accepted truth in the information space.
For a breakdown of how to confront one such claim, read my recent article, “I’m a War Scholar. There Is No Genocide in Gaza,” where I debunk a loud but unfounded accusation of genocide:
11. Call Out the Double Standards
Every phase of Israel’s war against Hamas has been met with blatant double standards. The laws of war that apply after a nation is attacked have been distorted or ignored. Casualty figures provided by Hamas have been accepted and repeated as if they were verified truth. Israel has faced demands that no other democracy would tolerate, including calls to stop a war it did not start.
These double standards must be called out and challenged.
One clear example is the international media’s fixation on the combatant-to-civilian casualty ratio. This question is not asked of other nations at war. Yet in Israel’s case, the narrative is shaped around statistics that originate from Hamas, a designated terrorist group. Hamas gains an advantage by labeling nearly every casualty as a civilian and every 14 to 18-year-old fighter as a child. This tactic is part of their broader strategy to win the information war and delegitimize Israel’s right to defend itself.
12. Encourage Solutions, Not Just Criticism
Many groups have tried to bring forward solutions. President Trump, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and others have proposed real, actionable steps. They are often criticized, but if the baseline objectives of this war are accepted – the removal of Hamas’s military and political control – then those seeking to achieve this outcome through creative solutions should be encouraged. Individuals, organizations, and nations all have a role to play in ending this war the right way.
Conclusion
“Finish the job” is not just a political phrase. It is a strategic imperative. It means removing Hamas as a military and political force, ensuring that civilians are protected and fed through systems that do not empower terrorists, and creating conditions that allow Gaza to be rebuilt without threat to Israel’s security. This is how lasting peace can begin.
FAQs
- What does “finish the job” in Gaza mean in practical terms?
- It means dismantling Hamas’s military and political control, protecting civilians through non-Hamas aid channels, and establishing conditions for long-term peace and reconstruction.
- Why can’t the war stop if Hamas returns the hostages?
- Hostages are only part of the issue—Hamas’s continued rule guarantees repeated violence. Only their full removal can end the cycle.
- How is humanitarian aid being delivered without Hamas interference?
- Initiatives like the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation bypass Hamas, delivering meals directly to civilians through independent logistics and community-based distribution systems.
- What role could Egypt’s Sinai region play in resolving the crisis?
- A humanitarian zone in Sinai could temporarily house civilians safely, ensuring aid delivery while combat continues in Gaza without mass displacement into cities.
- Are there local alternatives to Hamas emerging in Gaza?
- Yes. Groups like the Popular Forces are taking control of areas and offering basic governance without Hamas. With support, they may be part of Gaza’s future post-conflict solution.
