During the three-week lull between the October 7 massacres and the beginning of the IDF ground offensive, there was some concern that Israel was deterred from attacking because of the presence of hostages in Gaza, or American pressure, or the threat of Iranian escalation, or perhaps sheer indecision. Frederick Kagan dispels all these suggestions in this conversation with Dan Senor, explaining why careful preparation was necessary, the strategic logic of the Israeli campaign against Hamas, and the challenges it involves. (Audio, 51 minutes.)
Senor and Kagan also speculate about the likely contents of the much-hyped speech Friday afternoon by Hizballah’s secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah. After the speech, Senor recorded another interview, this time with the veteran Hizballah expert Matthew Levitt, which I also recommend listening to. The main takeaway: Nasrallah wants to show that Hizballah is contributing to Hamas’s fight, but is afraid of a major escalation, and doesn’t want to be dragged in. (Audio, 18 minutes.)
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