Hamas knew what Israel's reaction would be: Analysis by Charley Cooper

It was the right decision.

It is a response to drone attacks on US troops launched by allies of Iran and Hezbollah, similar to those in March, which had no connection to the current crisis. Failure to respond now would show unacceptable weakness.

The timing, however, is precarious. The Middle East is at its most combustible in decades. Israel continues to prepare for a massive operation in Gaza, while pro-Palestinian protesters march around the world.

This is what Hamas hoped for – a regionwide response galvanising opposition to Israel and unifying the Muslim world. But provoking the United States to enter the fray makes no sense.

Even the most hardcore, idealistic extremists must know they would lose such a war...and lose it badly.

True, they may not care. Hamas understood completely that Israel’s response would inflict massive casualties on innocent Palestinians, yet they happily slaughtered Israeli civilians as a preamble to their own undoing.

However, Iran and their allies seem less rash. Aside from a few rockets, Hezbollah support for Hamas this month has been limited to words.

They know a war with Israel along Lebanon’s border will have no winners, only more suffering.

One cannot help but wonder, however, if hostile actors in the Middle East are beginning to question US resolve. The drone attacks may be a test.

They have reason to doubt America has the stomach for introducing its own troops into the fray.

Beginning with Barack Obama’s capitulation in the face of Syria’s Bashar al Assad using chemical weapons on his own people, followed by Donald Trump’s coddling of dictators like Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman and Joe Biden’s calamitous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the US has shown itself pulling back from the world stage with no coherent foreign policy.

Weakness begets further hostility. Now, more than at any time in recent years, the US must project strength and protect its troops.

If not, the regionwide conflict it hopes to avoid may become inevitable.

Charley Cooper is a former senior advisor to the Pentagon.