Israel is Engaged in Conflict with Hamas—Time is of the Essence
Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, including the United States, the European Union, Canada, Israel, and others
On December 1st, Israel's truce with Hamas dissipated, and armed forces began to move in on the Islamist's last strongholds in the Gaza strip. The tactics utilized in this phase were different, but this shifted little in the view of the rising Palestinian death toll. Israel is conscious that both the support and time for its battle in Gaza are diminishing, and a set of objectives must be accomplished before this occurs.
In the north of the area, Israel had already taken control of much of the nearly abandoned Gaza city and launched air-strikes on the Shujaiya district and Jabalia refugee camp. It is assumed that most of Hamas' surviving fighters in the region are located in those areas. In the south, buildings in Khan Younis, the hometown of Yahya Sinwar and Muhammad Deif, who are both the highest ranking Hamas leaders in Gaza, were targeted. On December 3rd, it was observed that Israel Defence Forces tanks had appeared at the outskirts of the city, suggesting that its ground offensive, which had previously been mostly limited to the north, may be broadening.
The media office of Hamas-run government of Gaza reported to Al Jazeera that Israeli forces had killed more than 700 Palestinians in the second day after the ceasefire ended. Since October 7th, approximately 15,500 Palestinians have been killed in the area. When the truce was in effect, approximately 300 trucks of aid were allowed to enter Gaza each day; however, this number has drastically decreased since the ceasefire ended. Israeli officials have declared that plans are in the works to expand the aid provided to Gaza, though this has yet to be seen in reality.
Israeli security personnel concede in private that their military is making haste to act before their "window of legitimacy" shuts. They understand that the international community's backing for Israel's military venture in Gaza, which was prompted by the Hamas massacre of approximately 1,200 people and kidnapping of around 250 more on October 7th, is abating in the wake of the heavy civilian casualties in Gaza. On November 30th, Antony Blinken, the United States' Secretary of State, made it plain to Binyamin Netanyahu's war cabinet that they couldn't expect "months" to complete the mission, as they had anticipated.
Joe Biden's administration, including Mr. Blinken, has been carefully monitoring the situation in Israel to assess whether they are taking steps to reduce civilian casualties and to enable aid to the two million Palestinians in southern Gaza. The administration has reiterated this point. The extent to which Israel is meeting these conditions will ultimately decide the amount of support America will extend to the Israeli campaign.
When the ceasefire ended, Israel announced a new map of Gaza which had been divided into more than 600 zones. This was an effort to reduce civilian casualties and, since December 1st, the residents have been informed via messages, leaflets, and the media of the areas where the IDF intends to operate along with the "safe areas" that they should try to evacuate to. It is uncertain if this system will be effective or not due to the chaos of the situation as the population is trying to escape from Israel's bombardment and cope with Hamas's attempts to keep hold of the territory.
The IDF's actions are limited by the 136 captives still held in Gaza. During the ceasefire, 108 Israelis and 24 foreign workers who were taken on October 7th were released. However, the temporary peace ended when Israel demanded the remaining 17 women and children be freed before negotiations about the other hostages would occur. The opposing objectives of destroying Hamas's military capabilities, removing it from power in Gaza, and rescuing the captives has become increasingly difficult. In a family gathering with the hostages' relatives, Israel's Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, attempted to assure them that "as the military progress, the pressure on Hamas will rise, increasing the odds of rescuing more hostages," though not all were convinced.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) understand that they have to try to balance the expectations of Israel's leaders and public, who wish to see Hamas destroyed, the families of hostages wishing to see their loved ones returned, and international allies who are aiming for a cessation of hostilities with minimal Palestinian casualties. If the U.S. appeals for a faster end to the conflict, the pressure will rise even further. At the same time, Hizbullah continues to fire missiles and drones at northern Israel at a similar rate as prior to the truce. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose approval ratings are decreasing and is being challenged by his ministerial cabinet, has desperately attempted to avoid making difficult decisions between the conflicting goals of the nation. Nevertheless, as tanks move into southern Gaza, a crucial juncture is approaching.
The state of Israel has now become engaged in a battle with Hamas while time is of the essence, according to the Economist publication dated December 3, 2023. This content can be reused.
