COMMENTARY: The only choice Israel has

“A War of Annihilation” — this is how James Mattis, who served as the U.S. secretary of defense in the Trump administration, referred to the fight against ISIS in Mosul, Iraq. The war in this region in 2016 and 2017 was the most intense conflict in a built-up area since World War II. The destruction caused in Mosul was similar to what the Allies inflicted on Dresden, Germany, in February 1945.

At the end of the battle in Mosul, the United Nations estimated that more than 80 percent of the city, the second largest in Iraq, was uninhabitable. A similar experience occurred in Raqqa, Syria, another stronghold of ISIS that was targeted by the U.S. military. This is the real corollary that should come with the statement that “Hamas is ISIS.”

On Oct. 7, the Holocaust survivors’ state was attacked by the new Nazis. Their heinous plan and cruelty were on full display for the world to see. In this war, Israel has no choice. It must act as the Allies did in their war against the Nazis.

It’s time to dispel the myth that “the Gaza population is a victim of Hamas, which imposed itself on them.” True, not everyone there supports Hamas. But the level of support for it undermines the claim that “Hamas does not represent the Palestinians.”

In the 2006 elections, Hamas won the largest share of the vote, with significant support (43 percent) and representation in more than half of the legislative council seats.

The fear of similar results led to the postponement of elections since then.

Hamas represents the Palestinian ethos at its core: negating the idea of a sovereign Jewish state in the area between the sea and the river.

These things need to be stated to balance Israel’s expectations, both on humanitarian issues and regarding the intensity of the fighting, especially considering the cynical exploitation by Hamas of Israel’s restraints and sensitivities.

After the horrors we have seen, nothing should surprise us regarding their ruthlessness. We must assume that they have booby-trapped everything they could. In this reality, the challenges of warfare are numerous and complex.

Under these circumstances, it is expected that the state’s authorities, its institutions and its citizens will support the military’s efforts by lifting various constraints. It is important to emphasize that there is no dilemma when choosing between adhering to international law and minimizing the risks to our forces.

The circumstances under which Israel entered the war in Gaza exempt it from dealing with what will happen in Gaza after the war. The reason for this is simple: Israel has no other choice. It must respond with overwhelming force, and let the chips fall where they may.

The efforts Hamas invested in the documentation, photography and dissemination of their horrors can shed light on one of the goals of the attack on Israel: breaking Israelis’ spirit. Indeed, they sought to murder Jews for the sake of murder, to kidnap in order to use captives as human shields and bargaining chips, to humiliate, document, distribute — to shock and frighten the Israeli society and instill terror and fear in every Israeli.

Viewing Hamas videos or distributing them may serve their purpose. The resilience of a united Israeli society in the face of this monstrous threat and the strengthening of the people’s spirit will thwart their efforts and allow us to eliminate the forces of evil.

Meir Ben Shabbat was Israel’s national security adviser and head of the National Security Council between 2017 and 2021.