The assault is ready. Gaza City, the heart of the Gaza Strip and a refuge for over a million people, is gripped in a grip of fire and steelThe Israeli army has preparations for the ground offensive completed, massing hundreds of tanks, armored vehicles and bulldozers along the northern border. The operation, dubbed “Gideon's Tanks II,” involves a pincer maneuver with infantry battalions that will have to penetrate the neighborhoods of Zeitoun and Sheikh Radwan.
The Air Force has already done its part by demolishing entire buildings, erasing neighborhoods, redrawing the city skyline like a "house of cards", to use the words of the Minister of Defense. KatzThe strategy appears brutal in its simplicity: demolish, empty, occupy.
Meanwhile, in view of the impending Israeli offensive on Gaza City, Hamas reportedly moved hostages from tunnels to the surface, settled in homes and tents to hinder army operations. Palestinian sources told Israeli public broadcaster KanThe Yemeni Houthis, meanwhile, have claimed drone attacks on Ramon airport near Eilat and on a base in the Negev.
A conquest but not a victory over Hamas
Military leaders admit that theoperation will not lead to a quick surrenderWe are talking about three or four months of fighting, of urban guerrilla warfare, of Hamas ready to resist between the fields of Nuseirat, Deir al-Balah and al-Mawasi. Meanwhile the the human toll is devastatingOver 300 Palestinians have been forced to flee, pushed into a "humanitarian zone" that doesn't yet exist on the ground. The United Nations reports that ten UNRWA buildings have been hit in just a few days, clinics closed, and water services halved. Among the targets are the building housing Gaza's largest archaeological collection and several skyscrapers used as shelters for displaced people. According to Palestinian sources, victims have exceeded 64 thousand, mostly civilians.
Diplomacy in disarray, Trump defends Qatar
While the tanks wait for the green light, the diplomacy remains blocked. The American secretary of state Marco Rubio arrived in Jerusalem for meet Netanyahu and HerzogWashington insists on the release of the 48 hostages still held by Hamas, of whom less than half are feared to be alive, but it has no real leverage to stop the advance. Rubio spoke of future of the Strip, reconstruction and security, but the shadow of the invasion makes the talks uncertain.
Meanwhile, the United States is trying to bring some peace between Israel and Qatar, an indispensable mediator for years but accused by Tel Aviv of protecting Hamas's political leadership. Following the Israeli raid in Doha against Hamas leaders, tensions between the two countries have skyrocketed. The emirate has convened an emergency Arab-Islamic summit, but according to rumors, Israel still essentially supports annexations in the West Bank.
Trump tries to cool the conflictQatar has been a great ally of the United States. Netanyahu must be very careful.
"Qatar," Trump explained, "has been a great ally of the United States, many don't know that. I told the emir, whom I consider a wonderful person, that they need to communicate better because their public relations are often misunderstood. People speak badly of Qatar, and they shouldn't. Israel and everyone else have to be very careful. When you attack someone, you have to be careful," he declared.
The long shadow of occupation
Israel reaffirms theaim of eliminating Hamas, but even his generals know that the movement will not disappear with the invasionThe guerrilla warfare will continue, the tunnels will remain active, the fighters ready to re-emerge. Meanwhile, Gaza is being razed to the ground and its inhabitants are forced into an exodus with no escape route.
The die is cast; the entry of troops is only a matter of hours. The real unknown is how long the occupation will last and what the cost will be, not only for Gaza but for the entire Middle East.
