Former Delta Force officer: Israel may have to choose between saving hostages and destroying Hamas

The war between Israel and Hamas has emerged as one of the most complex conflicts in modern history, with political and military leaders often divided on how to end the violence. For the first time since the fighting began on October 7, a delegation of high-ranking foreign military officials from the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Romania visited Israel. The group observed the situation firsthand, including visits to Gaza and Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.

These seasoned veterans, who had served in conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Northern Ireland, and Bosnia, gained rare insight into Israel’s military operations during a tour organized by the European Leadership Network (ELNET). The visit provided them with a direct understanding of the challenges Israel faces.

“There’s no question that this war Israel is fighting in Gaza is probably the most complex battlefield any army has ever fought on,” said Col. Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, in an interview with The Media Line. “You have to consider the dense population and the extensive preparations Hamas has made over decades, including a vast network of tunnels. The large number of hostages held by Hamas also complicates the situation.”

Retired Lt. Col. Jeff Tiegs, formerly of Delta Force and now president of the Skull Games anti-human trafficking organization, described his recent visit to Gaza. The group moved along the Philadelphi corridor toward Al Qarya as Suwaydiya, commonly known as the Swedish village, near the Egyptian border. “We saw some of Hamas’ tunnels and the Israeli Defense Forces’ drilling to uncover more. What broke my heart was seeing an area that could have been a beautiful hotel if not for the devastation in Gaza over the last 20 years. It’s a crime against humanity.”

In addition to observing Israel’s military efforts, the delegation noted the internal divisions within Israeli society. A major dilemma facing both the Israeli government and military is how to fight Hamas while simultaneously rescuing the hostages held in Gaza.

Maj. Andrew Fox, a former British Army officer and now a senior lecturer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, remarked, “The events of October 7 justified the war. But the hostage situation complicates things. It’s an inherent paradox between defeating Hamas and rescuing the hostages. It may come down to choosing one.”

Adding to the discussion, Tiegs underscored the urgency of the hostage situation. “There are two priorities: defeating Hamas and rescuing the hostages. But only one has real urgency,” he said, implying that the time frame for saving the hostages is much shorter than the timeframe for the military campaign.

Urban warfare in Gaza, compounded by the labyrinth of tunnels Hamas has constructed, has slowed the IDF’s operational pace. According to Tiegs, the “violence of action” helps maintain an advantage over the enemy’s decision-making process, but the complexities of the terrain make it challenging to push forward. Despite these obstacles, he insisted on the importance of pressing on. “Just by the mere nature of what’s happening in Gaza, the complexities of urban combat, and even the tunnels underground, that operation cycle has been slowed down. But I lean toward keeping the pressure on until you break through, and then you’re able to recover those hostages.”

He further emphasized the ruthlessness of Hamas’ strategy. “Hamas has made it perfectly clear: if push comes to shove, part of their atrocity style of warfare involves the barbarism of assassinating these hostages,” he stated. “It’s like a ‘Sophie’s choice’ for the Israeli army—an impossible decision between two objectives.”

Looking at Israel's northern border

While Israel contends with Hamas in Gaza, the country is also facing increasing tensions on its northern border with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. According to Fox, ground operations in southern Lebanon present significant challenges compared to Gaza. “The terrain is mountainous compared to the flat sands of Gaza. Hezbollah’s tunnels are dug into rock rather than sand, making them much harder to locate and destroy,” he explained.

Tiegs echoed Fox’s assessment and pointed out that while the goal in Gaza is to destroy Hamas’ ability to stage future attacks, neutralizing Hezbollah is a longer-term objective. He added, “Right now, the focus is on deterring and disrupting Hezbollah, but completely defeating them would take more time.”

As violence rises in the West Bank, some military experts are also concerned about the possibility of a third intifada, allegedly fomented by Iran. “Recent IDF operations uncovered car bombs, IEDs [improvised explosive devices], and weapons. All of that points toward a potential bombing campaign within Israel itself,” Fox noted. “If I were an Israeli planner, stopping a third intifada would be my top priority.”

The delegation also expressed disappointment over the United Kingdom’s recent decision to halt some arms sales to Israel, a move Kemp called “absolutely catastrophic.” He lamented the erosion of the historically strong UK-Israel relationship, especially in areas like intelligence sharing and arms sales. “The UK has traditionally been a very strong and close ally of Israel. Both sides have benefited from intelligence exchange, weapon sales, and technology, and I’d say, if anything, the UK has been the net beneficiary of that. But the new government now has effectively turned on Israel,” Kemp said. “They’ve carried out a number of actions against Israel, and this is damaging the relationship.”

The decision, Kemp argued, was based on unproven allegations of war crimes. “The UK has suspended 30 licenses out of the hundreds that we have. The legal basis for that suspension is the allegation of a serious risk of war crimes, but there’s no evidence supporting that,” he continued.

Fox was equally critical, calling the UK government’s decision “performative” and aimed at appeasing domestic voters. “Israel’s targeting and the UK’s targeting process are basically identical,” he explained. “So this means this is a performative move designed to appeal to part of the British government’s domestic voter base. They are essentially prioritizing their own voters over the UK’s relations with the State of Israel.”

Kemp added that such political moves not only strain international relations but also embolden Hamas. “By saying the UK is going to restrict munition supplies to Israel or components, it’s akin to saying Israel is committing war crimes. The reality is that Israel isn’t committing war crimes. Actually, Hamas is the one committing war crimes,” Kemp argued. “These kinds of actions are a boost to Hamas and encourage them to continue fighting.”

The tour’s organizer, Yossi Abravanel, ELNET’s deputy executive director, highlighted the importance of the visit. He explained that the goal was to give these military experts firsthand experience of the conflict and Israel’s challenges, with the hope that they would share their insights when they returned to their home countries. “Once they understand what is happening here, the idea is also for them to go back to their country and give their professional opinion on what they saw as former high-ranking officials, former generals, or colonels, and explain the specificities of this war in their country,” Abravanel said.

In a final remark, Fox emphasized Israel’s shortcomings in the international information war. “There are two wars happening here: One is the physical war against Hamas on the ground in Gaza, and the other is the war in the international information space,” he said. “It’s not enough to do good; you must be seen as doing good.”