Marc Champion, Columnist

Israel's Revenge Would Be Better Served Cold

There are no good choices, but Israel shouldn’t give Hamas what it wants — and planned for.

October 13, 2023 at 11:45 AM UTC

Marc Champion is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Europe, Russia and the Middle East. He was previously Istanbul bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal.

Gaza residents have already been displaced as a result of Israel’s retaliatory raids against Hamas. — Gaza residents have already been displaced as a result of Israel’s retaliatory raids against Hamas.
Photographer: Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images Europe

Provide news feedback or report an error

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

This article is for subscribers only.

Israel's 24-hour notice for more than 1 million civilians to evacuate Gaza City by midnight, dubbed impossible by the United Nations, suggests a ground invasion is imminent. Why the rush?

Hamas is going nowhere. It is by now clear that the purpose of Saturday's attack and its haul of at least 97 hostages was designed precisely to draw Israel into a massive response on Gaza’s densely populated urban battlefield. There’s time to prepare Hamas's destruction, rather than dance to its tune. The terror group has had years to prepare its defenses, so let it wait a little longer; they won't improve. The pressure to move in quickly is political.