Journal of Geography and Regional Development

Weakening Israel's Deterrence Strategy in West Asia During the 2023 War with Hamas

Document Type : Research

Author

Hamid Dorj

PhD in International Relations, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/jgrd.2025.89744.1474
Abstract
After World War II, with the cooperation of the Zionist movement and Britain, Jews from all over the world moved to the Palestinian region to establish their promised land near Mount Zion. Although this process was opposed by the Arabs, it ultimately led to the establishment and independence of Israel on May 14, 1948, as the conflicts between Arab militias and newly arrived Jewish immigrants ended and British mandate over Palestine expired. This regime has dominated many areas of Palestine and occupied its lands in several wars with the Arabs. The military invasion on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023 and the crushing blows dealt to the regime, severely undermined its deterrence and defense power. In response to this offensive operation, Tel Aviv bombed areas of the Gaza Strip and completely blockaded this strip. The main question of the research is “What is Israel's deterrence strategy in West Asia during the 2023 war with Hamas?” The research hypothesis is that Hamas’s full-scale attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 and the incessant missiles fired at Jewish settlements in southern Israel has debilitated the regime’s deterrence and defense power. In response to these attacks, Israel, backed by the United States and Western countries, has launched extensive airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and laid siege to it, which may eliminate Hamas from the field equations and loose the chain of Islamic resistance in West Asia. In the meantime, Tel Aviv has also made several military attacks on Iran. in response to which, Iran has sent missiles and drones to Israel to ensure deterrence. Tehran does not seek to mount tensions in the region. These hostilities and adventures of Tel Aviv in the region and the bombing of resistance axis will do no good to lasting peace and stability in West Asia. Using a mix method aprraoch, this study collects data from library and online resources.
 
 
 

Keywords

Israel
Gaza Strip
Hamas
Deterrence
Balance of Threat
Subjects
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