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Israel’s War on Hamas: Operation Protective Edge or Operation Overreach?

By Brett Daniel Shehadey
Special Contributor for In Homeland Security

Israel is reported to have stuck 1,300 targets and a mobilization of troops at the territorial border. But as Israel steps up its anti-Hamas campaign, their targets include civilian institutions and greater collateral damage. A heavy bombardment continues to make Israel the aggressor to the region and the world.

Hamas battle tactics include staging attacks in high-density civilian areas or rooftops which endanger their civilian population (e.g., around schools or hospitals). They have fired more than 800 rockets and mortars at Israel. The militant group has actually told Gazans to return home during Israeli airstrikes.

In the media, this conflict is portrayed as an Israeli sirens and shelters narrative versus mounting the Palestinian casualties and exodus narrative.

Israeli U.N. Ambassador Ron Prosor told the media that Israel is given only 15 seconds to make to the shelter by its own authorities, as Hamas gives no warning and indiscriminately attacks. In contrast, the Ambassador said Israel gives Palestinians 30 minute warnings to evacuate. They have also fired dummy rounds as a warning before live fire.

The Israeli Air Force drops leaflets into Gaza that say: “Civilians are requested to evacuate their residences immediately for their own safety.”

The international community is calling for cease-fire as thousands of Palestinians in Gaza flee their homes and casualties mount to more than 1,000 wounded and more than 160 killed. More than 70 percent of Palestinian casualties are reported to have been civilians. The U.N. Relief and Works Agency has said they are sheltering 4,000 Palestinians in their facilities and schools. Still, they lack the right to freely travel or leave Gaza but are instead abandoning the north.

The immediate humanitarian issue is a lack of urgent medical care. Egyptian response in this area has been quick but limited.

Neither Israel nor Hamas will agree to a cease-fire. The Israeli position is that Hamas rocket attacks must stop. “When it is quiet in Israel, it will be quiet in Gaza,” said Ambassador Ron Prosor. This was the same exact message in 2012 and Israel’s position is seen as one of national defense. But this conflict is much worse.

Hamas will not agree to a cease-fire while Israel is attacking and killing innocent civilians. While they, frequently, strategically position those civilians to exposure, they really desire to “appear” to have the upper hand, strength (and competence as Muslim warriors) before all Gazans and foreign backers in fighting the holy war against the Zionists. If they cannot achieve this appearance of strength they will be replaced and or not funded by outsiders contributing to their local struggle while in a prolonged conflict or in decisive defeat. Thus, for Hamas as a terrorist militant organization, it is about survival too.

Before any cease-fire, a realistic option would be for both parties to scale-down the bombings and rocket fire first. Instead, Israel wants to neutralize as much of Hamas military capability as it can and assure a longer period of relief. Operation Protective Edge is also slated to continue until they can get the rockets to stop by efforts in the sky and the ground. The objective is to beat them into submission. Hamas wants to punish all Israelis for military and other transgressions.

We are seeing both sides ramping up attacks with Hamas long-range rocket fire at key cities like Jerusalem and Tel Aviv or the nuclear reactor in Dimona. Israel has proven clear technological superiority and troop strength with the Iron Dome and the mobilization of reservists and thousands on the border ready for a ground invasion. Hamas has proven small-scale innovation but must prove steadfast commitment in insurmountable odds to backers. Both are using old tactics and the playbook of 2012, with minor advances and exceptions.

The real problem is that political conditions have changed since the Israeli-Gaza clash of 2012 in the region. Israel may find itself indirectly fighting state actors in a widening proxy war through Hamas and also the West Bank in the future. Such states have verbal pledges and obligations to their people that demand action to help the Palestinians. Moreover, the International Community is already at odds with Israel over their apartheid policies of Jewish nationalism, walls and colonization of Palestine. Israel’s excessive conventional military operations may overload the regional system and brand it as the renewed enemy of focus.

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