Commentators point to the number of terrorists killed, the exact tactical results, or even the political reactions abroad. But this discussion misses the essential point.

The success of the operation lies not in body counts or in the details of the raid, but in its strategic impact. By striking at the very heart of Hamas’s safe haven, Israel shattered an illusion: that terrorist leaders could sit comfortably in luxury hotels, directing massacres and chaos in the region while remaining untouchable. That illusion is now gone.

The leaders of Hamas understand that they have no safe place left in the world. Their message of “resistance” looks increasingly hollow when their own lives can be reached anywhere, at any time. For the people of Gaza, this sends a different but equally clear message: Israel is determined, and will not stop halfway. The war will be fought until Hamas’s grip of terror is broken.