Hamas/Photo: Getty Images
Israeli troops have resumed active hostilities in the Gaza Strip, conducting air strikes and launching new ground operations. The military command warns that this is only the beginning of a new phase of the campaign against Hamas. However, a return to full-scale war may prove more difficult than before, amid weakening public support, reserve fatigue and political challenges.
This was reported by Reuters.
In Israel, military service is compulsory, but in times of crisis, the country depends on reservists. When Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, thousands of reservists voluntarily returned to their units without waiting for an official draft. But after months at the front, some of them do not want to return to Gaza, six Israeli reservists and representatives of groups defending their interests told Reuters.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to resume the bombing only intensified the massive protests that have swept through Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Demonstrators accuse the government of continuing the war for political reasons and endangering the lives of 59 hostages still being held by Hamas.
Netanyahu rejected the accusations, calling them “shameless”. According to him, the main goal of the military campaign is to return the hostages.
However, the protests in the streets of Israeli cities are only intensifying. Thousands of people are demanding that the government continue negotiations on a peace deal that includes the release of all hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Military strategy: an offensive with an open door for negotiations
Despite official statements about the resumption of hostilities, representatives of the Israeli Ministry of Defence told Reuters that the campaign would be gradual, leaving room for possible negotiations.
Whether this will escalate into a full-scale new phase of the war or lead to a return to the negotiating table remains an open question. But what is clear is that Israel is facing its most difficult choice in recent months: military pressure or diplomacy?
