With Hamas and Israel trading rockets and airstrikes, as both sides clash in some of the deadliest incidents since the 2000 Palestinian intifada, Israel is now considering an invasion of the Gaza strip.
Israel is preparing plans for a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, which will be presented to the IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen. Aviv Kohavi for approval today, with Israel’s politicians to take the call on carrying through with them or not, IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Hidai Zilberman said, adding that the plans were being drafted by the Gaza Division and Southern Command.
Israeli troops have already massed at Gaza’s border on Thursday, Reuters reported.
Tensions between Israel and Palestine in 2021 have been sparked by Tel Aviv’s move to resettle parts of East Jerusalem with Israeli residents, prompting the forced displacement of dozens of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah, by order of the Jerusalem District Court and the Supreme Court of Israel.
Protests on May 6 escalated into skirmishes, prompting a crackdown by Israeli police forces, which stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque leaving over 300 injured. Hamas, in response, began rocket attacks from the Gaza strip that have penetrated deeper into Israel than ever before. Hamas spokesman of the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades claimed these rocket strikes were larger than any launched on Israel since the 1948 War of Independence.
Israel in turn responded with airstrikes, taking down one of the tallest buildings in Gaza—the 14-storey Al-Shorouk tower, which Israel said hosted Gazan militants. Israel says it warned residents to evacuate before striking the building. The strikes reportedly left at least 83 dead, including 7 children, and nearly 500 wounded. Israel claims some of the dead were from rockets fired by Hamas that landed within Hamas itself.
The Jerusalem Post reported that over 650 targets “belonging to Hamas” have been struck since the beginning of what Israel has dubbed “Operation Guardian of the Walls”.
Since 2005, Israel has maintained control over Gaza’s airspace and territorial waters. In 2014, Israel launched Operation Protective Edge, mounting a crackdown on rocket firing from Gaza. A ground invasion focused on the tunnels crossing the border with Israel. The fighting left over 2,100 Palestinians dead as well as 66 Israeli soldiers.
On Wednesday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country had rejected a Hamas ceasefire proposal. Netanyahu vowed to “continue acting to strike at the military capabilities of Hamas”.
US President Joe Biden said Israel had the right to defend itself as they had “thousands of rockets” flying into their territory. The US is sending its envoy, Hady Amr, to the region.
