The entire border around Gaza was declared a war zone on Wednesday. “Soldiers are carrying out combat activities there and entering there endangers lives and interferes with the activities of the Israeli army,” the IDF warned. This large region closed to civilians represents more than double the territory of the Gaza Strip: it extends from the south of Ashkelon to the kibbutz of Rouhama further east, from the village of Tidharet and to Bnei Netzarim in the south. The Israeli army continues to search for Hamas fighters. More than four days after the surprise attack carried out by the terrorist group, control of the border has not yet been fully reestablished by the IDF. Rocket fire continued to fall. The Ashkelon hospital was hit, without reporting any injuries.
By restricting access to the south of the country, the Israeli army is protecting its operational communications so as not to reveal any weaknesses. The Israeli army fears other attacks on its soil by Hamas men who still manage to enter Israel or who have remained hidden there since Saturday. The technique is not new, Hamas fighters do not hesitate to “unsilhouette” themselves: “They can quickly put on civilian clothes,” explains a French military source. On Tuesday, the engineering capabilities of the Israeli army claimed to have sealed some 80 breaches in the protective enclosure.
A thousand Hamas fighters were killed on Israeli territory. But on Tuesday morning, clashes continued locally. The IDF claimed to have eliminated three Hamas militants in Zikim near Ashkelon. Terrorists dressed in Israeli army uniforms were shot dead in Beeri. In Re’im a fighter hid in a shelter. A Hamas diver attempting to infiltrate by sea was also neutralized offshore. “The Israeli forces were not initially strong enough either to contain the Hamas fighters or to plug the breaches in its defense barrier,” explains military specialist Ben Barry on Wednesday, in an analysis published by the IISS. “It is possible that other Hamas fighters will continue to move into Israel,” he says.
At the same time, the Israeli response continued to gain momentum on Wednesday. “The first step for the Israelis is to reconquer their territory. Second, to impose a blockade on Gaza, including from a naval point of view. Thirdly, to weaken Hamas militarily through strikes,” explains a French military source. The last will be to return to Gaza. Each step can be concomitant with the other, adds the source.
Also read: Israel: why a ground operation in the Gaza Strip promises to be particularly complex
The bombings against Gaza have never been so massive. The Israeli Air Force says it has bombed more than 500 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad positions since Saturday. During the last twenty-four hours, it notably claimed responsibility for the destruction of a Hamas military center installed in the buildings of the Islamic University of Gaza and advanced detection systems, used as air defense. During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, it would have destroyed ammunition depots as well as port infrastructure. But military experts doubt the effectiveness of these bombings, while Hamas has had time to disperse its forces in the urban scrub.
“The ongoing airstrikes, however disproportionate they may be, are unlikely to be seen as a way to restore balance or deny Hamas a major victory. A total blockade will also be insufficient, even if its impact on the Palestinians will be terrible,” decipher Alexander Balmer and Daniel Byman in an analysis of the field for the CSIS institute. All military observers expect a vengeful ground response, without taking into account the principle of proportionality with the attack.
The human toll on the Palestinian side will dramatically increase. On Wednesday, the Palestinian authorities reported 1,055 dead and 5,184 injured. On social networks, images of victims, including children, circulated to testify to the violence of the response. “Hamas wanted a change, it will happen,” harshly announced Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. “What Gaza was will no longer exist,” he promised.
Also readConflict between Israel and Hamas: Kfar Aza, the massacre that horrifies the world
Humanitarian organizations in Gaza are concerned about the ongoing spiral of violence. The territory, transformed into an open-air prison for years by Israel, deprived of electricity delivery since this weekend, is sinking into chaos and destruction. In the enclave, which has 2.3 million inhabitants, nearly 187,500 people have already been displaced. The United Nations Relief Agency for Palestinian Refugees has made shelters available in the 88 schools it manages for 137,000 people. Two of these schools were bombed, as well as the UNRWA headquarters. Nine UNRWA personnel were reportedly killed during bombings, the UN announced on Wednesday. For his part, the Palestinian Foreign Minister said that 22,600 residential buildings had been destroyed since Saturday, as well as 10 health centers and 48 schools.
Despite the upcoming convictions, the situation is destined to get worse. Each side “must respect the laws of war,” warned Human Rights Watch. “No matter what anyone else does, no one has the right to target civilians.” This appeal to reason will undoubtedly not resist Israeli anger.