Israel’s very existence is at stake. 

The war in Gaza is only one front. There are two other fronts, and each one of those fronts can, if pushed, explode into other wars without a moment’s warning.

Israelis know why they are at war. Israelis understand what they are fighting for. Israelis realize how important it is to fight these fights. For Israelis, the sacrifices they endure are noble. 

Israelis are battling for their very existence.

Ever since the October 7th massacre, much media attention and energy has been spent discussing, dissecting and decrying the Israeli response to the events of that day. Right now, the international media — and hence, eyes around the world, are looking toward the Gazan city Rafah. 

Rafah is a city that straddles two sides of a border — half sits in Egypt and half in Gaza. World leaders are clamoring for a cease-fire. Many are going so far as to threaten Israel, warning the Jewish State not to advance on Rafah so as to spare the civilian population that has been living, seeking refuge and harboring within.

Know that Rafah is the last stronghold of Hamas. Know too, that Israel will advance on Rafah when the time is right. 

For now, Israel is taking it slow, employing small strike forces. They will evacuate as many civilians as want to leave. The more civilians to leave Rafah, the easier it will be for Israel to properly deal with the remaining Hamas battalions holed up in the city and burrowed in tunnels under the city.

Rafah plays a crucial role is Israel’s war against Hamas. Crucial to Israel’s vow to destroy Hamas and to free the hostages abducted on that fateful, awful, tragic day in October.

Yes, there are certainly Hamas members and pockets of Hamas terrorists in places like Gaza City and Khan Unis, cities where Israel has already been, cities where Israel has effectively concluded their mission. But those remaining Hamas cells are leaderless and statistically insignificant.

Once Israel’s battle mission in Gaza is nearly at its end, after Rafah is successfully free of Hamas, Israel will have the ability- the luxury, to exclusively focus on and find the hostages wherever they have been squirreled away.

But Israel’s wars will not be over.

Even now, Israel’s battle energy is shifting from Gaza, on Israel’s southern border, to Lebanon and Syria, on Israel’s northern border.

Over the next few weeks tens of thousands of Israeli reservist soldiers, many who returned home only two months ago after serving in Gaza since that war began, will be called to serve on the northern border where the threat from the terrorist organization Hezbollah is gaining momentum.

The backbone of the IDF, these soldiers are extremely talented, well disciplined, well trained. And now they are battle-hardened.

They will be arriving as a show of strength. They will be battle-ready. If necessary, they will go into Lebanon to confront Hezbollah. Of course, a presence will remain in Gaza.

Every day rockets are shot from Lebanon and Syria into Israel. Israel responds with missiles from fighter jets or helicopters and with ground weapons. Within seconds of Hezbollah’s many attacks, Israel has successfully eliminated both the shooters and the rocket batteries.

Tens of thousands of other Israeli reservists, equally trained and determined, are now being called up to report to the West Bank. 

The West Bank has generated a tremendous increase in terror activity and a rise in Hamas affiliation. Ironically, while Hamas has lost local support in Gaza with the masses blaming them for the horrific situation in which they must now live, West Bank Palestinians see them as heroes confronting Israel.

The West Bank is an ideal terrorist launch pad. Israel knows that. And Israel needs to clamp down to prevent the terror from overflowing into mainstream Israel.

Almost 4,000 terrorists have been arrested in the West Bank in counter-terror raids since October 7.

Israeli political and military leaders are in agreement, as are the vast majority of Israelis, that the situation can never go back to what it was before October 7. Most Israelis now understand that Hamas ideology is an extremely powerful elixir that motivates Palestinians to murder as many Jews and Israelis as possible. 

Hamas and Hamas disciples really want to wipe Israel off the map. The Middle East is a tinder box, ready to explode over one misstep.

Do not for one moment doubt that Iran is the puppet master. Iran controls Hezbollah. Iran pays for Hamas. Iran supports the Houthis. And Iran has two overarching objectives — to dominate the Muslim world and to totally eliminate Israel.     

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