Israel's destruction of Gaza will fuel Hamas and conflict for another 50 years, former UK defense chief warns

• Israel's destruction of Gaza will not end Hamas or this conflict, a former UK defense secretary says.
• He warns that the current assault will fuel radicalization and further isolate Israel on the world stage.

Israel launched a devastating offensive in Gaza in the wake of horrific terror attacks, but its aggressive tactics won't bring about the end of Hamas or the conflict, a former UK defense minister is warning.

The concerns being raised in some ways echo other Western voices alarmed by Israel's methods of rooting out Hamas, which have wrecked the Gaza Strip, killed and displaced thousands, and sparked anger and outrage internationally.

Ben Wallace, the former Secretary of State for Defense and current Conservative Member of Parliament for Wyre and Preston North, wrote for The Telegraph on Sunday that the Israeli military may be going beyond self-defense.

"We are entering a dangerous period now where Israel's original legal authority of self-defense is being undermined by its own actions," he said. "It is making the mistake of losing its moral authority alongside its legal one."

Wallace also warned that if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "thinks a killing range will rectify matters, then he is very wrong. His methods will not solve this problem."

He argued that, instead, the bombardment and destruction of Gaza by the Israeli military will "fuel the conflict for another 50 years" and radicalize new generations and further inspire Hamas.

While the UK politician clarified that he "absolutely" defends Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas, especially after the terror attacks on October 7 that killed 1,200 Israelis and injured thousands more, he noted that when Israel withdraws "from what is left of Gaza, there will still be Hamas."

"All the action will have achieved is the extinction, not of the extremists, but the voice of the moderate Palestinians who do want a two-state solution," he said, referring to one proposed framework for bringing an end to Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Experts told Business Insider's Sam Fellman that Israel's tactics could be playing into Hamas' hands, with Robert Pape, a University of Chicago professor who studies military power, saying that "the real issue here is that very likely Israel is creating more terrorists than it's killing."

Wallace's comments reflect growing concern from Israel's allies about its actions in Gaza. Last week, President Joe Biden warned that while "Israel has most of the world supporting it" right now, "they're starting to lose that support by the indiscriminate bombing that takes place." It was a stark shift from the US' previous unwavering support.

The comments come amid protests and heated debates in Western countries, including the US, as well as accusations of Israel committing genocide and calls for a ceasefire. Israel has rejected these allegations, arguing they are targeting Hamas operatives who they say have killed, injured, kidnapped, and tortured Israelis.

Israel's air and ground campaigns in Gaza have displaced almost two million people, according to the United Nations, and killed almost 20,000 people while injuring over 50,000, according to Gaza's Hamas-affiliated health ministry.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on criticisms of its tactics, but it has previously said that "in stark contrast to Hamas' intentional attacks on Israeli men, women and children, the IDF follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm." The Israeli military argues the high civilian casualties in Gaza stem from Hamas' use of civilians as human shields.