Vantage | Why Israel has chosen targeted raids over full-blown assault

It’s Week Four of the Israel-Hamas war and the ground invasion has commenced. However, it’s not the all-out invasion of the Gaza Strip that many might have expected. Instead, Israel has initiated a sustained raid, a prolonged ground incursion with undisclosed objectives and numbers. Israeli tanks and soldiers are currently inside Gaza, engaged in heavy fighting with Hamas in the north. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has referred to this as the second phase of the war.

“Yesterday evening, more of our ground forces entered into Gaza, in the development of the stronghold of evil. This is the second phase of the war whose goals are clear: the destruction of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas and the return of the hostages home,” said Prime Minister Netanyahu. Secretive ground operations: A departure from tradition Hamas has also confirmed the heavy fighting, but what makes this ground operation unique is the level of secrecy surrounding it. Israel has not been hyping its actions as it usually does. Footage and documentation of the operations have been kept closely guarded with most deployments happening at night. This shift in strategy is intriguing. Reports suggest that the ground operations primarily focus on two key areas. Firstly, the IDF is targeting the extensive network of Hamas tunnels beneath Gaza, which experts consider to be a potential secret weapon. Secondly, the focus extends to Gaza City, the largest Palestinian city and a major Hamas power centre. Surprisingly, the ground operation has not halted the airstrikes. In fact, they have escalated. Israel’s air force claims to have hit 600 targets within 24 hours, some of which are controversial, such as the bombing of the Al-Azhar University in Gaza City, which Israel alleged was hosting Hamas anti-tank missiles. “Now the Jews (Israelis) say that they will hit Al Shifa, whether they do this or not, this is what is normal for us now. The threats do not frighten us, let them launch airstrikes as much as they want, we are all martyrs at the end,” said displaced Palestinian, Mohammed Maarouf. Internet blackout Over the weekend, Gaza experienced an internet blackout, with no phone calls or information available. Connectivity was gradually restored, but this blackout raised concerns about transparency. Israel’s military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari provided a vague response when questioned about the blackout stating that they would do what was necessary to secure their forces and refrained from further comments. “We do what we have to do to secure our forces for as long as we must, temporary or permanent, as much as we need to and we will not say anything further about that,” said Rear Admiral Hagari. Regional dynamics: Lebanon and Syria In addition to the ground operation in Gaza, Israel is also engaging in the north, particularly in Lebanon and Syria. Military targets in Syria have been struck and Israel is facing off with Lebanon’s Hezbollah. There have been multiple exchanges of fire with Hezbollah claiming to have carried out 84 attacks along the border resulting in the loss of 46 fighters. The IDF has stationed tanks and soldiers in the north to deter Hezbollah from opening a second front capitalising on the Gaza operation. The new Israeli strategy signals a departure from expectations of a full-scale invasion. There are two possibilities for this change: Israel may have shelved the full-scale invasion in favour of targetted raids, or this operation might be a precursor to a major invasion. Whatever the case, it represents a shift in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s thinking. There are several factors influencing this shift. Israel’s allies, including Europe and the US, were not in favour of a full-scale invasion. Public sentiment in Israel has also been less favourable, partly due to the issue of hostages held by Hamas. More than 200 people remain in captivity and their families have urged Israel to delay the invasion. Targetted raids offer less risk to Israeli troops and potentially fewer casualties compared to a full-scale assault. However, it remains to be seen if such raids can overthrow Hamas’s rule in Gaza. The challenge in fighting organisations like Hamas lies in their unconventional nature with leaders abroad, funders and supporters spread internationally and fighters on the ground. Destroying the organisation completely is a formidable task and the consequences of a new generation of radicals being radicalised by the conflict must also be considered. The 24-year-old Noam Alon, boyfriend of Inbar Haiman, who was taken hostage into Gaza on 7 October said, “We know when we see that they are speaking about two goals for this operation, one is to bring all the hostages and the second is to destroy Hamas. As her boyfriend I am really afraid that these two goals are in conflict with each other, that they cannot be achieved together.” Father of Omer Shem-Tov, Malki Shem-Tov said, “We are very worried about our dearest that they are there and we don’t know if the whole military operation takes all these hostages under consideration, that nobody will be injured.” Turkey’s role in the conflict Turkey has emerged as a key player in the Israel-Hamas conflict further complicating the international dimensions of the crisis. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has openly supported Hamas asserting that it is not a terrorist organisation, while denouncing Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu as a “terrorist.” These statements have added an additional layer of tension to the already volatile situation. “Just as Netanyahu is a terrorist, the opposition says Hamas is a terrorist organisation as well. Shame on you. Israel, we will declare you as a war criminal to the world. Right now we are making preparations for this,” said Erdogan. 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.