Three months have passed since the start of the war Gaza. During this time, more than 23,000 Palestinians have died from Israeli attacks, much of the enclave has been destroyed, but the Hebrew state has not achieved its main objective: ending Palestinian militancy. Hamas.
Now Israel As fears grow that an all-out war could break out, it is changing its strategy Middle East Because of the role played by the supported fighters IranLike the Lebanese Hezbollah.
WATCH: Gaza War Costs Israel Millions of Dollars
But why can't the best prepared army in the world put an end to this? Hamas? How the chain explains CNNThe influence of the Palestinian militant group goes beyond GazaThat means the total defeat of the Islamists is highly ambitious and unlikely Israel.
“This kind of mission cannot be completed: we have seen it fail many times over the years,” Bilal Y. Chap, research fellow for the Middle East and North Africa at Chatham House, told CNN.
A sign that strategy Israel It replaces the one given by Maj. Gen. on Thursday Aharon HalivahChief of Intelligence Israel Defense Forces (IDF)He did not mention total destruction in a speech listing his country's military objectives Hamas.
The senior official dealt a major blow to Gaza and Iran, restoring the Israeli blockade of the region and returning some 130 Israeli hostages. HamasAccordingly The Jerusalem Post.
“It is not an easy battle. “It will take time, but we will achieve our mission objectives,” the general added.
For his part, Saad noted to CNN that “predecessors are not very favorable to military campaigns that seek to eradicate a deeply entrenched military political movement.”
“The IDF leadership is well aware that what they can do is severely degrade Hamas' military capabilities.”he added.
Israel's own Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahuhas already warned of a long war in Gaza It may extend to 2024 and beyond.
But that war will have a very different intensity than the present one. On the same Thursday, the Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav GallantRevealed plans for next steps GazaEmphasizing a new approach to fighting in the North and focusing on leaders Hamas Suspected to be in the southern territory of the enclave.
Regarding the role of the IDF, Galata He said they would take a more targeted approach in the north Gaza StripActivities include: Raids, tunnel demolitions and air and ground attacks.
In the south, players will continue to try to find leaders Hamas And rescue the Israeli hostages, the minister said.
“This phase will be less intense, but it will take longer,” Yohanan Plesner, head of the Israel Democracy Institute and a former Knesset (Israeli parliament) member for the Kadima party, told CNN.
CNN also noted that a more realistic objective is to drastically reduce combat capability HamasIn that respect, solid progress has been made.
last week, Netanyahu He said the army had killed 8,000 Hamas fighters Gaza.
Before the war begins, Israel He estimated that there were about 30,000 Hamas fighters in Gaza. Its armament includes anti-tank missiles, snipers and engineers, and rocket and mortar batteries.
Israel has yet to achieve its other objective: finding and killing the most important leaders Hamas contained GazaAmong them Yahya Chinwar.
“The definition of success is not capturing or killing all the operatives HamasBut to make sure of it Hamas Gaza can no longer be effectively governed,” Blessner told CNN. “Hamas is organized like an army, with command and control centers, brigades and brigades. “This command structure is being seriously challenged and dismantled,” he added.
project “Four Corners” Minister announced Galata Israel maintains overall control of Gaza security.
Also, A International Force It will be responsible for rebuilding the territory destroyed by Israeli bombings.
The document says The Palestinians would be responsible for administering the territory and Egypt would have a role, but did not specify which one.
“The residents of Gaza are Palestinians, so Palestinian organizations must assume responsibility on the condition that there are no hostile actions or threats against the State of Israel,” he said. Galata.
Total War?
In the last days Israel Killed number 2 Hamas in an airstrike on Beirut; Lebanese militia Hezbollah hit a strategic Israeli base with about 40 rockets; America A militant group commander and Iranian-backed insurgents were killed in Baghdad Yemen A firefight with the US Navy. These circumstances raise fears of war Gaza End up spreading over the entire area Middle East.
The site was attacked on Saturday Hezbollah in the north Israel In charge of air traffic control. After that operation, the IDF warned of the possibility of “another war” in the north of its territory.
Hezbollah Said to be a wave of rockets against the base located in Mount Meron It was an “initial response” to targeted killing in Beirut Saleh al-AruriNo. 2 of Hamas.
It is worth remembering that at this point, Lebanese militias began firing rockets against the north Israel After the Israeli bombardment began Gaza On October 7. Netanyahu's government has responded in a similar way, but has tried to contain the fighting in the north of the country.
Although the military force Hezbollah is more than HamasIsrael has already said it is losing patience and is ready to use force if tensions cannot be resolved through diplomacy.
Israel It has also threatened to cause great destruction in LebanonLike the one you run Gaza.
This Monday, the tension escalated a step further Israel An elite commander was killed Hezbollah Identified as Wissam al-Tawil. A projectile hit the vehicle he was traveling in. He is the highest-ranking militant of the armed group killed since October 7.
“Neither side wants war, but both sides believe it is inevitable.”Yoel Kuzansky, a senior researcher at Tel Aviv University's Israel Institute for National Security Studies, told the AP.
As for the United States, the country sent two strike groups in October aircraft carrier to the region, but one of them withdrew in late December and other warships moved in to replace it. Washington's message with these measures is directly on target Iran its allies to prevent escalation of the conflict Gaza.
But Iranian-backed militant groups Syria e Iraq They have not stopped launching rocket attacks against US military bases.
Also, rebels The Houthis Inside YemenSupported by IranThey attacked an international ship in the Red Sea.
US forces have retaliated by killing a top commander of US-backed militias. Iran Inside Iraq Already 10 rebels The Houthis Those trying to board the container ship.
“Americans don't want open war with Iran, Iranians don't want open war with America.“Ali Hamadeh, an analyst writing for the Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar, told the AP.
what will happen? AP analysts say regional tensions will run high Israel Continue your crime GazaIt will be months if he maintains his goal of definitively ending Hamas.