Israel advances, Hamas resists: Where is the war in Gaza heading? Expert opinions on Caliber.Az

Israeli forces have launched a ground operation in Gaza. The goal, according to Axios, is to take control of the city and dismantle Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the start of a large-scale offensive on Gaza City aimed at defeating the radical Hamas movement, reports Ynet.

“We have launched an intensive operation in Gaza,” the Prime Minister stated.

Earlier, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) called on one million residents to leave the northern areas and move south to “humanitarian zones.” According to the IDF, around 300,000 Palestinians have already evacuated.

On September 15, the Israeli Air Force carried out massive strikes on the city, after which tanks entered Gaza. The offensive began shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Netanyahu.

“The problem is they’re a terrorist group, a barbaric group, whose stated mission is the destruction of the Jewish state, so we’re not counting on that from happening,” Rubio said, stressing that the U.S. supports the operation but urges its swift conclusion.

What real results can this operation bring? Could it lead to the release of hostages and the elimination of Hamas’ control over the Gaza Strip? Or could it have unintended consequences for Israel?

Foreign analysts shared their assessments of the situation with Caliber.Az.

As noted by IDF reserve officer and military analyst Yigal Levin, the outcome largely depends on the ultimate objectives of the operation.

“Because we do not yet know the full scope, and it hasn’t been publicly stated—even by Israel’s political leadership—whether the Israeli army will remain in Gaza or not. If the goal is simply to establish control over the region and, consequently, over Gaza City, that is one scenario. But if the objective, for example, is to reach certain agreements or exchange occupied areas for hostages, that is another. These are completely different scenarios that can be interpreted in different ways. If the Gaza Strip is brought under full control and a military administration subordinate to Israel and its army is established, then yes—it would be entirely possible to strip Hamas of its authority over the Strip,” Levin said.

Mehmet Emin İkbal Dürre, PhD in History, Middle East expert and Associate Professor at the Department of Foreign Regional Studies at Moscow State Linguistic University, recalled that on September 15, Qatar hosted an extraordinary joint summit of the Arab League (AL) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), convened in response to Israel’s strike on the Hamas headquarters in Doha.

“It is notable that immediately after this event—which, in my view, produced no constructive results aside from unsubstantiated accusations against Israel and discussions of hypothetical measures—the IDF launched a ground operation aimed at taking control of Gaza City.

Israel is thus, first, demonstrating that it does not need any mediators to negotiate with Hamas, and second, showing confidence that no third country or coalition of states would militarily oppose its actions in Gaza.

Yes—it is audacious. Yes—it is unfair. But it is a fact.

The actions of the Israeli leadership toward the civilian population in Gaza are unacceptable. No political objectives or ambitions can justify the deaths of civilians, especially children and women.

But unfortunately, the world—including the Muslim world—can do nothing. Netanyahu remains in power, and there will be no change in Israel’s policy toward Gaza. His support from the United States is evident,” the analyst said.