The fallout from the October 7 operation continues to shake Israeli political and military discourse. Rather than reevaluating the failed policies that led to what many Israelis are calling a “disaster,” the government and army appear determined to recycle those very same strategies—simply under different names.
Eyal Ofer, an Israeli expert on Gaza and the Hamas economy, stated that “the national trauma caused by October 7 ranks second in modern Jewish history only to the Holocaust. Naturally, the slogan guiding many Israelis now in dealing with Gaza is: ‘Never again’—meaning Hamas must never be allowed to carry out such an attack again.”
In an opinion piece published by Channel 12, Ofer argued that instead of crafting an appropriate long-term strategy for Gaza, Israel has reverted to its “economic peace” policy. For over 15 years, under the guidance of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Israel’s security establishment sought to distinguish between Hamas and the civilian population—a justification used to allow wide-scale economic aid into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Ofer claims that Hamas has strengthened both economically and militarily through this aid, and now, under the same logic but new terminology—this time labelled “separating the population from Hamas”—Israel is repeating the same failed policy. The so-called aid is now being distributed in “designated centres” supposedly for civilians. Yet, these tactics began just two months after the war erupted, shifting the focus from combat to planning “the day after in Gaza.”
He further noted that Israel’s military and government have operated under new banners, such as “alternate governance,” “humanitarian islands,” or “self-rule camps.” Over time, these concepts materialised into what became feeding zones managed by the American-based ‘Humanitarian Gaza Corporation.’ However, the world increasingly views them as de facto detention camps, where Israeli forces fire upon civilians gathering for food. Thus, any Israeli involvement in aid efforts is globally interpreted as an implicit admission of genocide and a public relations cover-up to mask the real atrocities.
Ofer emphasised:
“Every British doctor who enters Gaza via Kerem Shalom returns home with a documentary of the horrors committed in Gaza’s hospitals. They testify before parliamentary committees or appear in interviews with journalists like Piers Morgan, asking: ‘Why doesn’t Israel allow journalists into Gaza? What is it hiding? Look at the footage taken by this doctor in Khan Yunis Hospital.’”
From what he terms “the Israeli national interest”, Ofer argues that undermining Hamas is secondary to ensuring that Israel can continue operating militarily inside Gaza, without bearing the civilian or economic responsibility for its people. This requires shutting down all crossings, including Kerem Shalom, and terminating aid delivery centres.
He concludes by proposing a geopolitical shift:
“If the United Nations wants to feed the people of Gaza, let it do so through Egypt. That way, Israel can offload the blame for the siege and the prison-like conditions in Gaza. The responsibility for the population’s movement and humanitarian needs should be fully transferred to Egypt alone.”
