After the bombs, the tanks. The Israeli army has announced that it has started land operations targeted in the central and southern area of Gaza, to “expand the safety area and create a partial bearing” between the northern and southern parts of the Strip. As part of the operations, the army said that “the troops extended their control to the center of the Netzarim corridor”.
Thus, after the bombing of the night between Monday and Tuesday, when the Muslim families of Gaza prepared to consume the Sahoorthe abundant meal of dawn preceding the long daytime fasting during Ramadan, earth operations also resumed. “From now on, the negotiations with Hamas will be conducted only under fire”, threatened the Israeli Prime Minister Benajamin Netanyahu, adding: “This is only the beginning”. It was of speech.
But why does Netanyahu break the truce with Hamas who was in force since January 19th? The negotiation on the liberation of the hostages in the hands of Hamas had been stuck for days and, according to the Israeli authorities, Hamas was taking advantage of the situation to strengthen his positions in Gaza. Hence the push to intervene by force, even if so far it has been seen that the bombs have not favored the liberation of the hostages. In fact, the families of people still in the hands of Hamas and the Islamic jihad have returned to manifest against the government, worried about the fate of their loved ones.
There are those who interpret the attacks of these hours as a warning sign in Hamas, rather than a real recovery of the war. But even if it were so, the human cost is very high: over 400 deaths, including dozens of children.
If the effects of the use of iron and fire in the clash with Hamas are uncertain, it must be said that The resumption of military operations allowed Benyamin Netanyahu, in difficulty, to recover his always dangerous political position. First of all, canceling the hearing on Tuesday of his corruption trial. But above all, favoring the return of Itamar Ben Gvirformer national security minister, who had retired from the government to protest the fire against the cease. The extremist minister has in fact returned to his place and, with him, four deputies of his party, Otzma Yehudit (“Jewish power”). In this way, underlines an editorial of the Israeli newspaper HaaretZ, Netanyahu can stabilize the coalition and approve the budget. “Netanyahu’s real goal,” he concludes Haaretz, “It appears increasingly clear: a gradual slip towards an authoritarian regime, of which it will try to guarantee survival through a perpetual war on several fronts”.
