How a possible claim of victory on the part of Hamas would be a mistake.

After all is said and done and Israel's operation in Gaza comes to an end, Hamas will likely claim victory. They will argue, among other things, that they were able to withstand the might of the Israeli Military and survive as an organization. That they were able to steadily and uninterruptedly attack Israel and keep its citizens in fear during this overwhelming display of force by the Israeli Army, therefore their capabilities were put to the test and prevailed. That during these attacks perpetrated against Israel, Hamas was able to damage Israeli infrastructure, killing and wounding civilians and military personnel. They will claim that their resolve is as strong as ever and that those Palestinians that didn't agree with them before the operation will now favor them overwhelmingly because, they will say, of the "massacre perpetrated by Israel against them". They'll insist this has made them even stronger than before, having obtained the hearts of the people to their cause even further. Finally, that once and for all they were able to show to the international community that they are nothing more than the brave and weakling victims of the Israelis. Some will say that this is true, that Israel once again has tried to kill a mosquito with a bazooka, and that the mosquito survived.

If one sees mothers embracing their children while mourning the loss of their husbands, the fear of an innocent child, the tears on the mother's face, one wonders, can this really be called a victory?

To start with, Hamas has clearly shown that their argument of bravery falls flat on its face if you consider how they hid behind women and children throughout the onslaught, causing the death of innocent civilians while doing so. They hid in mosques, universities, schools, hospitals and utilities companies, all of which are part of the infrastructure which the Palestinians need to lead normal lives and develop themselves so that they are no longer in need of international aid. Israel was made to destroy them because of this. Particularly, when one thinks of Hamas' perfectly healthy leaders hiding out in Shifa Hospital, the image one perceives is one of utter cowardice, not bravery. As Mohammed Bassiouni, the Chairman of the Egyptian Parliament's Committee on Foreign Relations asked “Where is the Hamas leadership? They are all hiding in underground bunkers while Gaza is being attacked.”  

As to withstanding the military might of the Israelis and surviving as an organization, it's become clear, even at this stage of the operation, that Hamas' capabilities have been seriously crippled. Their supply tunnels along Philadelphi Road destroyed. Their warehouses and laboratories torn to shreds, hundreds of their militants dead, thousands wounded and some of their top leaders killed and most others in hiding. While it is true that they have kept on launching rockets into Israel, it's also true that as the ground offensive advanced, the number of rockets fired into Israel have diminished. That while Israelis may fear Kassams and Grads, 90% of them support the incursion and have faith that these attacks might be the last they may have to endure. Its undeniable that were Israel to stop operations at this moment, Hamas' could not have withstood the operation, and that their future operational capacity will be gravely diminished. Their survival therefore has been seriously threatened by Israel.

If one listens to the Palestinian Girl who, live on Al-Aqsa TV, blamed Hamas for the death of her 4 year old sister, one instantly notices that any claim by Hamas to have won the hearts and minds of the Palestinians is bound to collapse by its own weight. Gazans have undeniably noticed that ever since the Hamas came to power, they have failed to fulfill the promise that all peoples expect from their governments, simply put, the fundamental improvement of their living conditions. One has to assume that all Gazans have experienced the dramatic decrease of their living conditions due to Hamas' policies and that they have further perceived the dramatic difference between their living conditions and those of their relatives living in the West Bank. This latest operation is only the latest consequence of Hamas' rule over their lives, and they, as the most educated people of Islam, are certainly more than smart enough to have realized this.

Finally, as has been shown by the statements of leaders the world over, Hamas' image vis-à-vis the international community has been seriously damaged. Even Muslim countries have attached blame for the situation to them, something which they had never done before. While doing so, they have made any argument of victimization impossible to any serious observer of the conflict. In short, and as has been shown, were Hamas to claim a victory of any kind after the Israeli attack on them, they would not only be seriously mistaken, but it would be a pathetic claim to the rest of the world and the Palestinian's themselves.

When one sees mothers embracing their children while mourning the loss of their husbands, one concludes, this could never be called a victory at all, just the sacrifice of Gaza by those who only seek power and death.