After weeks of targeted operations in March, rocket and mortar attacks on Israel by Hamas in the Gaza strip have nearly ceased. This is, in the main, a direct result of Israel targeting terrorists and their infrastructure and very little to do with traveling down the diplomatic path. Most importantly, the tactics and strategy never undermined Israel’s overall policy towards Palestinian militant organizations. In the end, it was a strategy of physical attrition that once again proved to be the most effective method in dealing with terrorism: the killing and capturing of the enemy.
Only by understanding and accepting the very real distortions of offensive jihad, will people begin to understand how little Qutb’s idea has to do with the majority of Muslims and with what Islam truly commands and demands from its followers.