Ehud Barak’s experience in operating in Gaza is unique among Israelis. He served as prime minister and defense minister when the second intifada erupted in Gaza and the occupied West Bank in 2000. Before that, he was the commander of the Israel Defense Forces, overseeing the first major pullback from the cities in the Gaza Strip as part of the first Oslo Accords in 1993.
In 2009, in his second stint as defense minister, Barak led Israel’s largest ground operation against Hamas in Gaza. Now, the Israeli army is preparing for a larger ground operation in Gaza, with the goal of targeting Hamas. Barak warns that the inevitable heavy toll of this operation will have implications for the civilian population, and advises against rushing into a ground operation.
Although he is confident in the army’s ability to defeat Hamas in Gaza, he believes that Israel must ensure its actions are seen as legitimate by the wider world. Barak urges that any ground operation should be delayed if an agreement can be reached to release some of the hostages held by Hamas.
Barak also emphasizes the need to prevent conflict with Hizbullah in Lebanon, which poses a significant threat to Israel. In the aftermath of the Hamas attack, most Western governments offered Israel their full support, but emphasized the expectation of operating according to international law.
Looking towards the future, Barak asserts that the eventual outcome should be the re-establishment of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza. However, he warns that the political fallout in Israel after the war ends could be significant, with questions arising regarding the failures in intelligence and planning that allowed Hamas to take Israel by surprise.
Barak’s relationship with Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, is complex, as they have been both allies and rivals. He believes that Netanyahu is to blame for the crisis, asserting that Israel’s strategy towards the Palestinians has backfired, leading to avoidable civilian casualties.