While Israel began its operation in Gaza facing an uphill climb, every passing week seems to complicate its task further. The Israeli government—and not only Netanyahu—has contended for months that Rafah was the last part of the puzzle, and that without an operation in Rafah, Hamas would not be defeated. Even if an absolute victory against Hamas were possible, victory in Israel’s case must be assessed on a number of other factors. If the Rafah operation continues apace, there will undoubtedly be more civilian casualties and likely more incidents akin to Sunday’s tragedy. The total victory that Netanyahu claims is just around the corner and awaits Israel as soon as the IDF is done with Rafah does not exist.