Operation Protective
Edge entered a new phase on Thursday night, one meant to break the
operational patterns that have become prevalent in the interaction
between the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas since the onset of the
campaign in Gaza Strip. The IDF has launched a limited ground operation,
meant to achieve specific tactical goals while increasing the pressure
on Hamas so that it will agree to the Egyptian cease-fire proposal.
The decision to launch a
ground operation was made 10 days into the Gaza campaign. The cabinet
sought to avoid it, fearing it might become overly complicated and
thinking that the operation could come to a conclusion -- via cease-fire
-- sooner rather than later.
This premise, however
proved false, and the change in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon's position on the matter came following
the foiled terror attack near Kibbutz Sufa, and the scope of Hamas fire
on Israel following the five-hour humanitarian cease-fire both parties
had agreed to uphold Thursday morning.
These two events made
it clear to Israel that Hamas is determined to take its pound of flesh
during the fighting and that opting for defensive tactics only endangers
Israel, as it makes it appear weak in the eyes of Hamas.
The discovery of the
terror tunnel near Kibbutz Sufa was the more significant of Thursday's
incidents. The terrorists' plan -- thwarted thanks to precise
intelligence provided by the Shin Bet security agency -- was to capture
and kill Israeli civilians and soldiers. The early warning prompted the
IDF to deploy additional troops in the area, and just two weeks ago, the
soldiers held a drill simulating a situation involving an attack via
terror tunnel.
The various defensive
directives pertaining to the area have also been revised, to surprise
the terrorists, and the troops deployed there included some of the IDF's
elite units, such as the Egoz Reconnaissance Unit and the Maglan
special forces unit, which were assisted by aerial surveillance and
other measures.
Since the onset of
Operation Protective Edge, the GOC Southern Command has advocated a
ground operation against the terror tunnels; expressing concern that
neglecting the issue would leave Hamas in possession of a strategic
measure that could be used to launch a terror attack at any given time.
A senior military
official noted that an operation of this kind was "well within the
abilities of the forces" deployed along the Israel-Gaza Strip border
over the past two weeks. As a result, the forces participating in the
ground operation include highly trained combatants, who underwent
extensive training for this very scenario.
The ground operation's
main objective is to deal with the threats lurking under the border, but
the IDF might opt to use it to deal with known rocket launching site in
northern Gaza Strip, with aim of significantly reducing the rocket fire
on Israel, as well as to eliminate as many Hamas terrorists as
possible.
The IDF was not ordered
to topple Hamas' regime in Gaza or to seize control of the Strip,
although it might choose -- as it did in several previous operations --
to divide the coastal enclave into several sections, to make it harder
for terrorists and weapons to move across it.
Israel hopes that the
ground incursion will prompt Hamas to agree to a cease-fire. Hamas
continued to dig in it heels during the indirect negotiations held in
Cairo on Thursday, refusing Egypt's cease-fire proposals and insisting
that Qatar be made part of the talks. Israel would rather avoid the
latter, but has so far refrained from officially opposing Qatar's
involvement, mainly because the main hurdle plaguing the talks is the
overt animosity between Egypt and Hamas.
Hamas' procrastination
on the cease-fire reflects its confidence that it could achieve better
cease-fire terms than the ones currently on the table, even at the cost
of further escalation. The organization was prepared for a potential
Israeli ground operation, and each of Hamas' six regional divisions has
an orderly defense plan meant to exact a toll from the IDF, mostly via
the use of explosives and anti-tank missiles against the Israeli forces.
Such intensive urban
warfare may not only cost soldiers' lives, but also mandate the IDF
exercise even more force, which is likely to result in Palestinian
casualties. The concern that the operation may become more complex, and
therefore would need to be expanded, has prompted the IDF to seek the
cabinet's authorization to draft thousands of additional reservists.
Israel hopes that the
legitimacy the international community has lent the operation thus far
will afford the IDF the necessary leeway to operate for several days at
least, during which the military would be able to achieve the majority
of its tactical objectives, ahead of a cease-fire agreement.
The IDF and the
government already enjoy the Israeli public's support for the operation,
but both know that it is contingent on three things that are difficult
to ensure during the uncertainty of battle: keeping the operation short,
marking significant achievements, and keeping the casualties to a
minimum.
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