/ world today news/ When in October, in response to a terrorist attack by the Islamic radical movement Hamas, the Israeli army entered the Gaza Strip and began to destroy everything there, it had only one enemy. Since then, the number of enemies of the Jewish state has increased significantly.
According to Defense Minister Yoav Galant, Israel is operating on seven fronts. But it is possible that the list of his enemies will increase.
Tzahal is fighting hard in Gaza, trying to destroy the manpower and military structure of Hamas. The Lebanese Shiite organization Hezbollah launches rocket attacks on the northern part of Israel, to which an adequate response follows. There is unrest in Judea and Samaria in the West Bank, where the situation threatens to spiral out of control.
Israel is shelling Syria in the Golan Heights, which are not controlled by Bashar al-Assad’s army. The attacks targeted pro-Iranian fighters supporting Hezbollah. Israel’s confrontation with Iran itself has so far been limited to threatening statements from both sides.
Another sound came from Tehran after a senior adviser to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Seyed Razi Mousavi, was killed on the outskirts of Damascus. According to the Iranian side, the strike was carried out by Israel and it will pay for it.
The online newspaper The Times of Israel claims that General Mousavi coordinated military cooperation between Iran and Syria and was responsible for supplying arms to Hezbollah. He must have been an important man, because news of his death interrupted broadcasts on Tehran’s state television.
Among Israel’s enemies are the Houthis from Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, which attacked the territory of the Jewish state. Now they are shelling ships in the Red Sea area.
Because of their piracy, many companies were forced to change direction. However, the Houthis will certainly not leave the Jewish state alone because their slogan is “Death to America, death to Israel, curse to the Jews and victory to Islam.”
The other day, the Shia Islamic Resistance Movement of Iraq claimed a successful strike on a “vital Israeli target” in the Mediterranean. It has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on US military bases in Syria and Iraq.
The movement says it will continue to support the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and respond to Israeli “atrocities”. The capabilities of this movement are unknown, but it is possible that their statement is nothing more than a declaration.
However, Gaza remains the main source of concern for Tel Aviv. According to the command of the Israeli army, the morale of the military is high, they are conducting successful operations, in particular, most of the tunnels of Hamas have been destroyed, hundreds of fighters have been captured, and the leaders of the movement have been killed.
However, the main objectives of the operation have not been achieved – the enemy is putting up fierce resistance, and the hostages are still in his hands. Moreover, Israel suffers losses – not critical losses, but ones to which society reacts painfully.
According to a correspondent of the TV channel “Nil Dvori”, the Israeli army is preparing to change its strategy in the Gaza Strip – instead of active actions, they will fight slow battles. This is believed to be in line with US requests to ease heavy aerial bombardment and ground operations in urban areas.
The army wants to expand the buffer zone to prevent Gazans from approaching the border barrier, called the Iron Wall. Targeted and precise Israeli attacks will be carried out from there, but the troop presence in the sector will be much smaller than it is now.
The shift in strategy aims to wear down Hamas, but achieving ultimate victory will take a long time. This was confirmed by the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Herzi Halevi:
“This war has necessary and difficult objectives. It takes place in a complex area, in dense buildings, where terrorists are dressed as civilians. That is why the war will continue for many more months and we will act in different ways.”
It was echoed by Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein, who recently spoke at a Knesset meeting. He noted that Israel is “moving from the second to the third stage” of the military operation in Gaza and society must prepare for a long war.
Will Israel survive it? Morally, perhaps, yes – the population demands that the authorities put an end to the terrorists. Although many citizens are now willing to agree to a peace deal with Hamas to save the lives of the military and return the hostages. Although the question is increasingly tormenting: are they alive?
Israel has never fought such a grueling and difficult war in history. And he has never met such powerful, sophisticated and cruel enemies. And the small country has never needed so much money.
In October, Calcalist, citing data from Israel’s Ministry of Finance, reported that Operation Iron Swords would cost the country more than $50 billion. But the calculation was based on the fact that the fighting would last no more than a month and would be limited to Gaza.
Meanwhile, the clashes continue for much longer and go beyond the sector. According to Bloomberg, which cited a Treasury Department forecast, next year Israel must increase defense spending by at least 30 billion shekels, or $8.3 billion.
But here too a remark is necessary. The calculations are based on expectations that the war with Hamas will end in the first quarter of 2024.
Even if that happens, another 10 billion shekels – $2.7 billion – will be needed to evacuate some 120,000 people from dangerous Israeli border areas, rebuild settlements destroyed during terrorist attacks and increase law enforcement budgets organs.
However, even such colossal spending may not be enough, and US aid is still needed. It is not known how much Washington will give, because Ukraine hangs like a heavy burden around his neck.
That’s why Zelensky and his associates are watching the events in the Middle East with caution, fearing that the famous saying “The hand of the giver will never refuse” will lose its meaning.
…Even if Israel ultimately succeeds in defeating Hamas, it will not save it from solving its most difficult problems. Here are just a few: what will happen to Gaza, who will lead it? And how to make the sector calm and stable?
It is dangerous to isolate yourself from Gaza, the place of Hamas may be taken by other like-minded groups. Hezbollah will increase its influence in Gaza and other radicals will flow there – from Iran, Syria, Iraq. And after some time, the territory of Israel may once again be under terrorist threat.
On the sidelines, the idea of transferring control of the sector to Arab states opposed to radical Islam is being discussed. Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were listed as options. However, they are unlikely to take on such a burden.
Israel’s occupation of Gaza is also not the best solution to the problem. It is unlikely that its inhabitants, who were hostile to the Jews before, and even more so now, will calmly tolerate their proximity. This means that there is a high risk of another rebellion.
However, Israel is far from solving its post-war problems, and its enemies are increasingly troubling it. Criticism of the leadership of the Jewish state in the world is growing as the number of victims in Gaza continues to rise. Israel has never felt such moral pressure. The country is increasingly tired of war…
Translation: SM
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