Israel’s OK on extending cease-fire mustn’t stop it from wiping out Hamas

Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must defeat Hamas now despite calls to end the conflict, The Post Editorial Board writes. Xinhua/Shutterstock

Monday’s Israel-Hamas deal to extend the cease-fire two more days raises hopes that more hostages will soon be freed — at a price: Every day that passes with Hamas still alive makes the job of eradicating it harder.

But Hamas must be obliterated.

No one can blame Jerusalem for choosing to make the return of its hostages a top priority.

Yet Israel faces a ticking clock: World pressure to “permanently” end the war keeps growing.

And if the past is any guide, Israel will be forced to call off its campaign against Hamas prematurely (recall its conflicts with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, which now has as many as 150,000 rockets).

Team Biden has even warned Israel against shifting attacks to Gaza’s southern region unless civilians there are first assured access to humanitarian aid and safety.

That may make it difficult, if not impossible, for Israel to finish the job.

Yet much is left to be done: Hamas vowed weeks ago to continue its attacks “again and again” until Israel is destroyed; one of its leaders, Khaled Mashal, bragged Friday that the terror group’s tunnels and weapons remain intact and that it can and will use them to launch new attacks on Israel.

Either Hamas is destroyed, in other words, or Israel is: Hamas has made clear that it’s life or death for both sides.

That means Israel must fight with all it’s got, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed.

The Biden team could help, not by repeatedly harping on what Bibi can’t do — but urging him to do what he must.