The Gaza Strip is the most difficult battlefield in the world and the ongoing military operation in Rafah will not guarantee that attacks on Israel will stop, says Danial Hagari, the spokesman of the Israeli army.
He was speaking during a conference organized by the Israeli newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth last Wednesday week. He was speaking in the light of a looming Israeli invasion that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that Israel will carry out.
Hagari said the Israeli army planned for a war that would last for about a year…and Gaza could be one of the most difficult in the world because of the battlefields, population density and the deep underground tunnels dug by Hamas.
He admitted Hamas have regrouped in north Gaza after the Israeli army tried to “comb” this part of the strip from Palestinian fighters. He added as a result, the Israeli army will once again infiltrate most of the areas it withdrew from.
For its part, Hamas officials say its fighters and the other Palestinian groups have indeed regrouped and are active again in the northern areas the Israeli army withdrew from.
The officials say their fighters, formed in so-called emergency committees are again battling the Israeli army in areas like Biet Hanoon, Jabalia and parts of Gaza City.
Such a view is being seconded by the Israeli media who are also saying Palestinian resistance fighters are appearing in different parts of north Gaza and in towns and camps where their presence had been strong.
Not only that, but they have been launching rockets on the areas in the so-called Gaza envelope that house Israeli settlements and military bases.
Rafah
Hagari added the Israeli army is delaying the invasion of Rafah in the southern-most tip of Gaza because of the lack of Israeli operational logistics. He admitted again the invasion wouldn’t be a guarantee that the Palestinian fighters in Gaza would stop their attacks either on their troops and/or inside Israel.
He pointed as a result of this, the Israeli army would deal with this small city that presently houses 1.5 million displaced Palestinian internal refugees, in the appropriate way it sees fit.
About 68 percent of Israelis don’t believe what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is saying Israeli would be victorious after it invades Rafah.
Although the figures are low, the army recognizes that 614 of their soldiers have been killed so far in the eight-month war on Gaza and 3362 injured. Hamas officials say figures is much higher than that.
Dr Asmar is a commentator in Amman covering Middle East affairs.
