The Israeli military readied for a ground assault against the Gaza Strip Sunday as aerial bombing of the Palestinian territory continues and concerns mount that the conflict, ignited last week with Hamas‘s multi-pronged attack on southern Israel, could spiral into a humanitarian disaster, a regional war, or both.
Israeli officials have made no secret of their desire to permanently stamp out Hamas in retaliation for the attacks, which are believed to have killed around 1,300 Israelis, many of them civilians. Israel has been massing troops and tanks near Gaza in recent days and on Friday told Palestinians living in the northern section of the Gaza Strip, including Gaza City, to move south immediately. About 2.3 million people live in the Gaza Strip, and Gaza City is the enclave’s most populous municipality.
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In a broadcast aired Saturday night, Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari accused Hamas of hiding behind civilians and again called on Gaza residents to move south.
“We are going to attack Gaza City very broadly soon,” he said, according to a report from the Associated Press. Hagari did not say when that attack is expected to commence.
The Israel Defense Forces had confirmed Friday that ‘localized’ raids into Gaza are already taking place, suggesting a major escalation is coming very soon. A full-scale ground invasion would be devastating for the Palestinians caught in the crossfire; residents of Gaza have seen water and power turned off in recent days as Israel tightens the blockade it has enforced since Hamas took control of the territory in 2007. Israeli airstrikes have leveled high-rise buildings, wiped out entire neighborhoods, and killed an estimated 2,200 people.
With the escalating violence have come fears that the civilian death toll will spiral. Reuters reported that President Joe Biden called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday and, while expressing “unwavering” support for Israel, urged his counterpart to ensure that civilians have access to food, water, and medical care. Biden also spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the need to set up “humanitarian corridors” capable of getting aid to the people of Gaza, the outlet said.
It is unclear how many Gazans have heeded Israel’s call to move south. Residents have been seen fleeing Gaza City and its environs, but Hamas is telling Palestinians to remain in place, and many fear they will be permanently driven from their homes if they leave. There is also mounting pressure on Egypt to allow Palestinians to seek refuge there. Egypt controls Gaza’s southern border, but so far, Egypt’s president has said he will not allow civilians passage into Sinai.
A U.S. State Department official told Reuters that it is working with Egypt to try to evacuate Palestinian-Americans inside Gaza who want to leave.
Also on Saturday, representatives of Russia asked the United Nations Security Council to vote Monday on a resolution calling for a ceasefire. This seems unlikely to be implemented, however, as most Western nations have supported Israel’s retaliation against Hamas.
While all eyes have been on Gaza over the last eight days, there are signs violence has spread to the West Bank. According to the Associated Press, 55 Palestinians have been killed in clashes with Israeli police and Jewish settlers over the last week. Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, known for his provocative statements about Arabs in the past and his vocal support for Jewish settlers, has accelerated the distribution of weapons to the settler population and urged the creation of citizen militias to beat back what could evolve into a mass Palestinian uprising.
In the north, Lebanese Hezbollah has taken advantage of the conflict by shelling IDF posts in disputed territory. Iranian officials have made veiled threats that they will use Hezbollah, which Iran subsidizes, arms, and trains, to attack Israel if the IDF does not end its airstrikes on Gaza.
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Netanyahu’s government has threatened the “destruction of Lebanon” if Hezbollah opens a second front in the war, according to Reuters.
Israel has invaded Gaza before, including in 2008 during Operation Cast Lead in response to Hamas rocket attacks, but this time, Israel is responding to an assault unprecedented in its 75-year history. Political pressure to kill the planners of the Oct. 7 raids is enormous, as is the desire to permanently cripple Hamas and ensure it can never stage such an attack again. But it remains unclear how Israel plans to destroy Hamas as a political and military force, as the organization has members in places besides Gaza. Hamas also operates in the West Bank, though its nationalist rival, Fatah, holds power there, and much of its political leadership is based in Qatar.
