Israel will launch plan to take all of Gaza if a peace deal isn't made.

 

Israeli tanks at the border. NBC News/AFP/Getty.

Israel will launch a plan to take all of Gaza if a peace deal is not made. NBC News. Israel controls roughly 1/3rd of Gaza and would take the rest if the plan, which was approved today. Israel would also remove civilians from the northern part of the Gaza Strip. They also say they will not allow humanitarian aid to be delivered until the operational phase of the attack was completed and the relocation is completed. Israel said they would call up reserves to compete the mission. The operation will also try to recover the 59 remaining hostages, 24 of which are still believed to be alive. However, the operation will not be launched until after President Donald Trump's visit to the region next week. 

My Comment:

This is going to make a lot of people mad. The temper tantrums this will cause if it goes into effect are going to be epic, to say the least. The pro-Hamas protesters are already apoplectic about a supposed "genocide" but they will consider this to be ethnic cleansing at best. 

Of course the smart thing for Hamas to do would be to try and get a peace deal again. Trump is going to push for that this week and if the Hamas leadership has any sense at all, they will go along with whatever Trump asks, even if it's something silly like America taking the Gaza Strip. They are not in a position to make demands, that's for sure. 

If a peace deal doesn't happen, and I don't think it will, this will be a major undertaking for Israel, and there is the potential it won't go well. Gaza is a highly urban area and though Hamas is mostly a spent force, there is the potential for heavy losses. And moving that huge amount of people is going to be a major issue for them. 

It's also going to be a propaganda coup for Hamas. Like I said, their supporters are going to go nuts about this, to the point where it might even end in violence. I have zero sympathy for Hamas or the Palestinian people, but even I think that moving a bunch of people from their homes is probably not going to play well. 

But my real fear is that that Israel is biting off way too much right now. Turkey is being expansionist in Syria and they might face a war with the much larger country in Syria. The Houthis are still launching attacks against them and they have little response, despite the American bombing campaign.  And they are also talking about launching strikes in Iran? Israel can't win four wars at once and that really seems like their plan here? It doesn't make sense to me. Making a peace deal or even a cease fire until the world stabilizes a bit, seems like the smarter thing to do. 

Regardless, the next week or two will be critical. If a deal can be made we might see a ratcheting down of tensions that could lead to a more peaceful region. If a deal isn't made at best we will have status quo ante with a bit more combat in Gaza at best, and a major regional war at worst. I am sure President Trump will try to get a deal made, but I am not sure that either Hamas or Israel are rational actors.