Jonathan Schanzer

They've been very careful up until now. They've not wanted to really, I mean, you know, you hear all sorts of things about how this war is going. The Israelis have been fighting much more carefully than you'd think because they don't want to kill their own hostages. So they've been really careful. You get the vast majority of them out. I think it changes the game for the Israelis.

I think they've been waiting for a moment to be able to do this in a way that I think matches some of their war plans. And so I think, it's just me talking here, I think they're going to go on the offensive after round one.

I think they've been waiting for a moment to be able to do this in a way that I think matches some of their war plans. And so I think, it's just me talking here, I think they're going to go on the offensive after round one.

I think they've been waiting for a moment to be able to do this in a way that I think matches some of their war plans. And so I think, it's just me talking here, I think they're going to go on the offensive after round one.

Sure. We're Foundation for Defense of Democracies, FDD. You can find us on X, ACFTD. And you can find me on X, at Jshanzer, J-S-C-H-A-N-Z-E-R.

Sure. We're Foundation for Defense of Democracies, FDD. You can find us on X, ACFTD. And you can find me on X, at Jshanzer, J-S-C-H-A-N-Z-E-R.

Sure. We're Foundation for Defense of Democracies, FDD. You can find us on X, ACFTD. And you can find me on X, at Jshanzer, J-S-C-H-A-N-Z-E-R.

Well, it's a good question. I mean, I think, number one, Israel's winning. And you can see it across all of the domains where Israel's been fighting. Hamas is on its last leg, 23 out of 24 brigades destroyed, really virtually no military infrastructure above ground to speak of.

Well, it's a good question. I mean, I think, number one, Israel's winning. And you can see it across all of the domains where Israel's been fighting. Hamas is on its last leg, 23 out of 24 brigades destroyed, really virtually no military infrastructure above ground to speak of.

Well, it's a good question. I mean, I think, number one, Israel's winning. And you can see it across all of the domains where Israel's been fighting. Hamas is on its last leg, 23 out of 24 brigades destroyed, really virtually no military infrastructure above ground to speak of.

The Israelis are slowly and methodically moving through those tunnels, mapping them and destroying them after they make sure that there are no hostages there. So that's working out, I think, pretty well from the Israeli perspective. They also have built this, it's called the Nitzarim Corridor.

The Israelis are slowly and methodically moving through those tunnels, mapping them and destroying them after they make sure that there are no hostages there. So that's working out, I think, pretty well from the Israeli perspective. They also have built this, it's called the Nitzarim Corridor.

The Israelis are slowly and methodically moving through those tunnels, mapping them and destroying them after they make sure that there are no hostages there. So that's working out, I think, pretty well from the Israeli perspective. They also have built this, it's called the Nitzarim Corridor.

It's this new, essentially elongated base that cuts across, I guess, around two-thirds of the way up Gaza. You see this large corridor, now a major base. And so the Israelis have a semi-permanent structure there that is maintaining control over Gaza. Hamas just cannot compete at this point. They've been really knocked for a loop.

It's this new, essentially elongated base that cuts across, I guess, around two-thirds of the way up Gaza. You see this large corridor, now a major base. And so the Israelis have a semi-permanent structure there that is maintaining control over Gaza. Hamas just cannot compete at this point. They've been really knocked for a loop.

It's this new, essentially elongated base that cuts across, I guess, around two-thirds of the way up Gaza. You see this large corridor, now a major base. And so the Israelis have a semi-permanent structure there that is maintaining control over Gaza. Hamas just cannot compete at this point. They've been really knocked for a loop.

But then you've got the weakening of Hezbollah in the north, which these are, of course, Hamas' longtime allies. They've just agreed to raise the white flag. They don't want to fight Israel any longer because the Israelis just beat them up pretty good, too. Their leadership has been utterly gutted. And on top of that, the Israelis have destroyed a vast amount of their military infrastructure.

But then you've got the weakening of Hezbollah in the north, which these are, of course, Hamas' longtime allies. They've just agreed to raise the white flag. They don't want to fight Israel any longer because the Israelis just beat them up pretty good, too. Their leadership has been utterly gutted. And on top of that, the Israelis have destroyed a vast amount of their military infrastructure.

But then you've got the weakening of Hezbollah in the north, which these are, of course, Hamas' longtime allies. They've just agreed to raise the white flag. They don't want to fight Israel any longer because the Israelis just beat them up pretty good, too. Their leadership has been utterly gutted. And on top of that, the Israelis have destroyed a vast amount of their military infrastructure.

And so that's all good. And then on top of that, you see the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria. And the Israelis also took out the air defenses of Iran back in late October. They've taken out the ballistic missile production facilities. There's really nothing left right now of that support structure that Hamas once had. That means that the Israelis have the upper hand.