prof. Kobi Michael: When you have a broad variety of countries participating in a peacekeeping force with different organizational cultures, different military doctrines and different interests, then it is almost impossible for the force to operate as a coherent unit.
There was little chance that ISF would be able to take on Hamas in any serious way. If the ISF operates in areas with no Hamas presence, they have a higher probability of succeeding. If they operate in areas where Hamas is present, they will fail immediately. They do not even have a slight chance to succeed.
The success of the ISF will largely be dependent on their collaboration with the IDF. Broad and consistent cooperation with the IDF will significantly ease the functioning of the ISF. If the cooperation is obstructed, then it will be very difficult for the ISF to do its mission because there will constantly be tension that will be exploited by Hamas to rebuild.
Published in JNS, October 23, 2025.
