What is Happening in Gaza?

Trying to dispel some of the fog

There is so much strange information coming out of Gaza that it is difficult to understand what is happening on the ground (and above it and below it).

There is of course the usual “fog of war” but let us see if we can provide a bit of a guide of what to look for.

First a quick summary of what has happened in the last 100+ days.  After a few weeks of air bombardment the ground war started in the north of Gaza with the strip being cut in two south of Gaza City – between Wahsh and Al Zahra. Within a week Israel cut across to the sea and also invaded from the north connecting forces along the sea.   The main object of this phase was to capture the tunnel network under Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza city and to root out the terror networks in the main camps and cities of the north – Jabalia, Sajaiya, Beith Lahia and Bet Hanoun. 

Those areas are now under IDF control yet fighting still continues.    In most wars of this sort the “mopping up” operations would include getting terrorists out of the buildings that are still standing either by destroying the buildings or by going in an capturing them.  This has, for the most part been done, however this war has another dimension – the underground dimension.  Unlike tunnel warfare of the past  - be it modern or ancient, these tunnels are deeper and more extensive causing the IDF to fight a war no one has ever fought before.  The fact that just last week a barrage of rockets was fired from northern Gaza to the city of Askelon shows how extensive these tunnels are. 

Northern Gaza

The next phase was in the center and south of Gaza and is still ongoing.  The areas targeted are Bureij and Nusseirat in the center with the main operation in the Khani Unis region in the south.    In these areas the tunnel network is just as extensive in the north and the belief was that Khan Yunis was the operations center of Hamas.  Combat here is still very extensive with air, artillery and tanks aiding the infantry as they progress slowly – uncovering some incredible tunnels including finding evidence of the hostages as well as Hamas leaders.

The last effort, yet to start and being debated is the southern border between Gaza and Egypt – Rafah and what is known as the Philidelphi Corridor.   The reason this operation has not yet started, even though it is probably the most important since it would cutoff any escape by Hamas leaders and fighters is its proximity to Egypt and their objection to Israel’s occupation there.  This has nothing to do with Israel and Egypt sharing a border – which they already do – but with the Egyptian fear of Gazans forcing their way into Egypt.  A more cynical view is that the Egyptian officers stationed there do not want to lose the lucrative “humanitarian aide” business with which they allegedly enrich themselves.  Whatever the true reason, Israel has hesitated starting this crucial operation.

Central and Southern Gaza

The above in a nutshell is what is going on. 

Now to what is being reported and why.    For the most part it seems that nearly all the reporting in the English and Hebrew press are leaks by anonymous sources and are usually meant for political purposes. 

1.       For example – on reports that the IDF cannot win we take you to the Israeli opposition to the government and to the Blinken State Department (but I repeat myself).

2.       If you read that the IDF is not supporting its troops with enough firepower then you can be sure that is coming from the right-wing of the Israeli government.

3.       If you are reading that “senior” IDF officials say that without a direct plan for the “day after” they can’t continue the war then that is being leaked by the General Staff itself for the purposes of CYA.

4.       If you read that the religious messianists have Netanyahu hostage and otherwise this war would not be going on, see number 1, above.

5.       If you are reading that reserve units are being withdrawn due to pressure from the US – see number 2 above.

6.       If you are reading that reserve units are being withdrawn since the IDF is looking to end the war, again, see 1 above.

That is not to say that some of these leaks might not be true in whole or in part – but the (often petty) politics of this war in both the US and Israel is fueling nearly all of the the reporting if not (hopefully) the fighting of the war.

Regarding the “humanitarian aide” being sent to Gaza this is the first war in history where an invading country providing its enemies with water, food, fuel and communications lines.  The aide being sent in day after day is aide to Hamas.  There is no attempt by the UN or the Red Cross to make sure that the aide gets to the civilians.  There is also no condemnation coming from the Blinken team of Hamas from commandeering this aide but only an insistence that Israel provide more and more aide.   This is military aide to Hamas – some of which might make it to needy civilians.  Since Hamas is a designated terror group in Israel, the US and the EU – sending these truckloads of supplies are illegal.  But the idea of sending aide in is to show they “care” – not to actually feed the hungry children.  But that seems to be par for the course today where being able to say “I help” is more important than actually helping.

This is especially true regarding the Gazans who want to leave Gaza but are not allowed because the world  - the West and the Axis refuse to let them leave.   Eugene Kontorovich has an excellent piece in today’s WSJ “America Helps Make Gaza an Open-Air Prison”.  In Gaza, as opposed to every other conflict zone in the world, the (Palestinian) “cause” is more important than suffering children.