Israel has resumed bombing Gaza after nearly two months of peace with indications of a renewed ground offensive to follow. Hundreds of people are believed to have died since Monday night – among them the de facto Hamas “prime minister”, at least four other senior figures and many civilians including children. The families of hostages have reacted with horror, as they see the chances of recovering their loved-ones dwindling.
Why has Israel bombed Gaza? Israel has bombed Gaza again because its ceasefire deal with Hamas has stalled. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, is not prepared to countenance Hamas’s vision for even the intermediate future of Gaza, let alone the long term. As such, the terror group has stopped releasing hostages.
The question of “why now” is more difficult. Israel could have resumed fighting more than two weeks ago when its formal agreement with Hamas ran out. Although the IDF has maintained a steady rhythm of small-scale strikes against individuals perceived to pose a threat, the overall ceasefire has held despite the lapsed agreement.
Some commentators in Israel thought – perhaps wishfully – that neither side had the appetite to resume fighting just yet. But there has always been a real concern among the IDF and the security services that Hamas was using the ceasefire to rebuild its military capacity. On Monday evening, it was reported that intelligence had detected “unusual activity” among the group in recent days – pos.
