Growing doubt over victory: Israelis question the toll of 100‑day war with Hamas

It has been 100 days since the initiation of the war between Hamas and Israel, which began on a Sunday. On October 7, Hamas fighters killed approximately 1200 Israelis and abducted 240 individuals to the Gaza Strip. Israel retaliated with an immense strike in Tel Aviv, their leaders declaring their target to be the eradication of Hamas and the safe return of their hostages. To date, Israeli attacks have resulted in over 23,000 Palestinian deaths. A significant portion of the Gaza Strip lies in ruins, but there's no indication that Israel is advancing towards its objectives.

"For three months, we've been told that Hamas has been eradicated, defeated, eliminated. Unfortunately, this does not align with reality... Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has established expectations that cannot be met, so we're thrust into perpetual warfare," says Nahum Barnea, a prominent Israeli columnist in the daily 'Yediot Ahronoth'. "The war consumes the lives of soldiers, amplifies the risk of a humanitarian crisis, for which Israel becomes accountable," he adds, pointing out that the 100-day war with Hamas does not move Israel closer to victory. "Victory is non-existent", the journalist vehemently declares.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv, urging the government to take resolute action and bring back the more than 130 hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They sported banners reading "100 days in hell".

Simultaneously, Israelis are becoming increasingly doubtful about winning the war against Hamas - this is according to the latest poll commissioned by The Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI). The survey suggests that 61 percent of participants trust in Israel's eventual victory, which is a decline from the 78 percent in October.

"Continuing the war without a concrete and future-oriented strategy for the Gaza Strip means that more Israelis will doubt the possibility of victory. Israel must define its war objectives realistically," Professor Yedidia Stern, head of JPPI, conveyed in a press release on Sunday.

Source: "Yediot Ahronoth", "Expressen"