Here’s an alternative then:
Israel makes an effort to provide a space away from the fighting, where civilians can live until “Hamas is destroyed”. It doesn’t even have to be outside of Gaza, but it’s arguably a better security idea to make a new camp inside Israel proper
The IDF made a big noise about ‘defeating’ Al-Qassam in northern Gaza around Gaza City, that was an opportunity to provide a safe area.
- Pick an open area, there’s several in the agricultural zones up north
- Perform through search for weapons caches, tunnels, etc
- Create tent city for displaced civilians
- Offer safe passage (but like, actually do it this time) and as people arrive you process them for signs of terrorist activity - explosives swab tests, checked against known terrorist lists, etc
It won't be perfect at keeping militants OUT of the camp, but it would help keep civilians AWAY from the fighting
To say “welp we tried, screw negotiations forever and ever” is shortsighted. Israel was never negotiating for an independent Palestine, even during the high points of Oslo or Camp David. It always wanted a subservient Palestinian Authority, with no actual control over security or borders, and no right of return for Palestinians - a deeply hypocritical stance whilst Israel rubber stamps Jewish immigration and citizenship, and funding Aliyah trips for international Jews with no ties to Israel
Israel today isn’t offering any solution but continued suffering, displacement as refugees, or ethnic cleansing. I disagree with the Palestinian resistance’s methods, but we are here because of years of failed peace processes where Israel rejects the option of dignity for Palestine.
You need to show the civilians living in the area that there’s another way via political process, and that rejecting violence is the way forward. Al-Qassam exists and is given permissive operations inside of Gaza because the people view them as the best route to a future. Throwing stones at a brick wall isn’t effective, but to Palestinians in a hopeless scenario it’s understandable to take up violence when the alternative is ethnic destruction in slow-motion.