Day 10

It's hard to believe, but it is already day 10 of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. Having outright rejected an Egyptian proposed ceasefire just yesterday, a proposal which was accepted by Israel, Hamas has so far shown no willingness to give up the fight and capitulate without having their demands met. While rocket fire aimed at Israel was slightly down in comparison to previous days, southern Israeli cities such as Ashkelon and Ashdod were once again under a relentless assault of indiscriminate incoming fire emanating from Gaza. Meanwhile in Tel Aviv, air raid sirens sounded in the morning, as has become almost routine so far, and was followed immediately by four or five deafening explosions that were the result of Iron Dome interceptions over the city. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries, however, shrapnel and debris did end up damaging various homes in the Tel Aviv area. It's hard for me to imagine what this conflict would look like without Iron Dome. One thing is for sure, the entire Iron Dome project has been worth every single shekel and dollar spent.

FM Lieberman and his Norwegian counterpart seek shelter in Ashkelon. IsraelHatzolah

Despite Iron Dome's overwhelming success rate though, one thing has been blatantly clear throughout the course of this conflict so far. Israel's deterrence is no longer what it was. Even under the constant aerial assaults of the IAF and the heavy shelling of the Israeli Navy, Hamas has proven to be a resilient foe that has shown no sign of backing down. This has to be the most disconcerting aspect of all. With the Israeli government constantly shuffling their feet and making it clear that any ground incursion into Gaza by IDF forces is the least preferred option, it seems that Hamas and co. will only continue to become emboldened by what they perceive to be the lack of will by the Israeli government to face them head on. In my opinion, swift and decisive leadership is needed in order to restore Israeli deterrence back to its desired level, even if it means putting boots on the ground in Gaza. It might not be the preferred option, but it is the necessary step required to significantly damage Hamas' military capabilities, and the only way to ensure that the indiscriminate rocket fire directed at millions of innocent Israeli civilians will cease.

Israeli Police and IDF Home Front Command soldiers following a rocket attack in Ashdod. Times of Israel