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After the radical Islamist Hamas killed 900 Israelis and took hundreds hostage, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a counterattack. 300,000 reservists were drafted into the army to eradicate terror. The destination is the Gaza Strip. There are 100,000 terrorists hiding among the 2.3 million Palestinians, including Israeli hostages.
Israel has already bombed key Hamas positions. On Monday, the city of Gaza came under fire. “We have started,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (73) wrote about X. The Israeli counterattack under the name Iron Swords has only just begun. There are many indications that a major land invasion is taking place.
How have previous attacks in the Gaza Strip been carried out?
Previous battles between terrorists and the military have always been similar: first there was barrage from the air, then ground attacks, the Guardian writes. The targets of Israeli attacks in Gaza have always primarily been Hamas’s military infrastructure.
The Gaza Strip has been under Israeli blockade since 2007. During this time, Hamas has upgraded the densely populated area and prepared for the current situation. Attacking from the ground presents many challenges.
What makes the crime so difficult?
The IDF has little room to maneuver to invade the Gaza Strip with heavy artillery. That’s why you always use the same routes. In the Gaza Strip there are some rural areas near Erez in the north and Khan Yunis in the south. Tanks and armored vehicles can be easily moved into these regions. From there the army has a good view of the entire Gaza Strip and Gaza City. However, to the east of Khan Yunis, several tall buildings line access roads that could also be used by Hamas and have provided cover for terrorists in the past.
Hamas and other terrorist groups know the usual routes of the Israeli army. The rural desert areas have been the scene of bloody conflicts in the past. Hamas will probably also set up defense lines there.
The Palestinians live in very small spaces. For example, between the tall buildings in Gaza City there are narrow alleys that are impossible for tanks to pass through. There is also a risk of the buildings collapsing. There are already hundreds of tunnels between Gaza and the Egyptian city of Sinai. There are now real command centers with functioning underground communications.
Israel has little data on its current tunnel system. “Some of them are probably booby-trapped. “Preparing for a fight in such an area would require extensive intelligence information that the Israelis may not have,” said Colin Clarke, research director at the New York think tank Soufan Center, as he assessed the situation to the news portal Vox.
What are Hamas’s strengths?
Although the Israeli army has more modern weapons, experts suspect that Hamas has stockpiled anti-tank mines and anti-tank guided missiles in recent years. Hamas also has simple, cheap drones that can drop bombs. These are also used in the war in Ukraine.
“Hamas has lost the element of surprise. But she’s probably prepared to hold out for a long time and has a lot of supplies,” says Clarke.
What could a ground offensive look like?
According to experts, it currently appears that the Israeli army will be forced into hand-to-hand combat if Israeli soldiers enter Gaza. Andrew Galer, a former British officer who now works as an analyst for the private service Janes, speaks of a “360-degree battlefield in which the threat lurks everywhere” – both on the roofs and in the sewers.
Such a battle would take a long time and pose a huge challenge: the soldiers would have to search house by house and explosives could be hidden everywhere. It is extremely difficult to distinguish civilians from terrorists, Galer said. The risk of hitting your own soldiers is also high.
The goal of Operation Iron Swords is to eliminate Hamas. “In the coming days you will hear sad stories from the Gaza Strip and people will start blaming Israel for everything that is happening,” warns military spokesman Jonatahn Conricus. The losses on both sides can be high. Cornicus calls out: “It is important to remember how this war began.”
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
