Prof. Col. (res.) Gabi Siboni: The large pauses of three to four months were at the behest of the Americans, who constantly pressured Israel not to press Hamas and to reach a deal with the terrorist group. Such pressure reflects Washington’s total lack of understanding of the Middle East’s brutal realities.
There should be no breaks, no interruptions in the fighting. International misunderstandings of the conflict and the Israeli War Cabinet’s mistaken willingness to accede to this pressure have led to a lack of sufficient pressure being applied to Hamas. 

Published in JNS, May 14, 2024.