Vantage | Why invading Gaza may be Netanyahu’s only option now

Status after Day 5 of the Israel-Hamas war: a lot more escalation. The death toll is now increasing rapidly. It was around 1,600 on Tuesday. It is now more than 2,100. Israel has put its death toll at more than 1,200. Over in Gaza, it’s 900, and chances are this will keep increasing.

Last morning, Gaza woke up to more air strikes. The Israeli air force struck 200 targets in Gaza city and they’re not done yet. All these strikes could be building up to the most important operation - a ground invasion of Gaza. According to Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, preparations are on. “We started the offensive from the air, later on we will also come from the ground. We’ve been controlling the area since day 2 and we are on the offensive. It will only intensify,” he said. Yesterday, talks between Israel’s ruling coalition and the opposition resulted in the announcement of an emergency unity government. That’s more insurance for Benjamin Netanyahu, more political capital to escalate. So don’t expect a let-up. And what’s the other side doing? Well, Hamas did launch some rocket attacks. They struck the southern city of Ashkelon. But the big picture is clear. Hamas cannot sustain this war. It’s exactly like how the Israeli prime minister put it - Hamas may have started the war, but now Israel will end it. The cost of war The question is, at what cost? The situation in Gaza is getting worse. A total siege has been imposed there - no food, no fuel and no water. Gaza has just one power plant, which reports say, has stopped working, which means - no electricity for hospitals, for shelters and for refugee camps. Israel has already asked Palestinians to flee Gaza. Just one problem though: there is nowhere to go. You can’t go to the Israeli border, so the only option is the Egyptian side, the Rafah border crossing. Only 400 people are allowed to cross this border per day. Even that is tough now. This is the reality of war. The fallout of Hamas’s barbaric and thoughtless attack. “Children are now playing with these, where should they sleep, these are our mattresses, pillows. What is that? Where are we living, this is not a life, we are living surrounded by rubble. Gaza is destroyed. everything is destroyed,” says Gaza resident, Mohamed Najar. There are calls to create an evacuation corridor, sort of like an exit route from Gaza. The United States is mediating this effort. Israel and Egypt are also involved. But time is of the essence, because the next stage could be worse, and Hamas knows this. What happens now? If Israel throws its might at Gaza, it’s game over. They can’t withstand it. So, Hamas is now appealing for help. They are asking Arab nations to join the fight. “I call firstly the surrounding countries, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, all of its sons and daughters, officially and popularly, your duty is bigger, because you are closer to Palestine,” said former Hamas chief, Khaled Meshaal. Some like Syria and the Hezbollah in Lebanon have responded. The Hezbollah have fired precision rockets into Israel. They have also used anti-tank rounds. In response, Israel is shelling southern Lebanon. It’s a very volatile situation right now. At least three Israeli soldiers have been killed at the northern border. On the other side, around eight Lebanese militants have been killed. Now, Israel and Hezbollah are sworn enemies. So, if the war spills over, expect Hezbollah to join. And it’s not just them. Israel is dealing with fire from Syria as well. Unidentified projectiles landed in Israeli territory. In response, they fired back. So, here’s what Israel’s war effort looks like. To the south, it’s all-out war - Israel versus Hamas. To the north, there is sporadic fighting against the Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria. Plus, there is action in the West Bank. Palestinians are mobilising and protesting there. Israel is cracking down on them. Reports say around 21 Palestinians have been killed. All set now? So, anything is possible. This single-front war could turn into a two-front war, or even a three-front war and Israel and its allies know this. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke to US President Joe Biden. The phone call was on camera. Netanyahu told Biden: “We’ve had hundreds massacred, families wiped out in their beds in their homes, women brutally raped and murdered, over 100 kidnapped, including children. And since we last spoke, the extent of this evil, it’s only gotten worse. They took dozens of children, bound them up, burned them and executed them. They beheaded soldiers.” That was the brutality of Hamas’s attack. It was violence and brutality beyond imagination. President Biden realises this. He’s had his differences with Netanyahu in the past, but now, he is supporting the Israeli leader. Biden said: “In this moment, we must be crystal clear. We stand with Israel. We stand with Israel. And we will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, defend itself and respond to this attack. There’s no justification for terrorism. There’s no excuse." The US military aid has already arrived in Israel. Aircraft carrier Gerald Ford is also in place. It is the largest carrier in the whole world as well as the most advanced US warship. There is now talk of sending a second carrier, the USS Dwight D Eisenhower. It was supposed to head towards Europe, but the Pentagon is considering a new plan - to deploy this carrier in the eastern Mediterranean. That’s a lot of firepower as these carriers don’t sail alone, they sail as an armada. We are talking about cruisers, destroyers and fighter jets. So the message from Washington is clear - we have Israel’s back. Netanyahu was likely waiting for this go-ahead. He’s got everything in place to invade Gaza. Around 300 thousand reserve soldiers are on stand-by, dozens of tanks and artillery vehicles are ready. It’s either a grand invasion plan or a very good bluff. But considering what Israel has just been through, the invasion seems more likely. It will be costly, it will be violent and brutal, but Netanyahu may not have an option. His intelligence failures have already boxed him in. He may see the invasion as redemption. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.