A violent escalation in Gaza

An intense, three-day exchange of fire in early May left four Israelis and 25 Palestinians dead and provided a stark reminder to the incoming Israeli government that the problem of Gaza is still with us and is likely to reignite periodically, threatening to plunge the sides into an all-out conflagration, unless a lasting arrangement takes hold. The deadliest flare-up since the 2014 Gaza war began when Islamic Jihad snipers hit and wounded two Israeli soldiers during the weekly Gaza border protests, orchestrated by Hamas every Friday. Israel responded by destroying a number of Hamas observation posts, killing 3 Hamas fighters. The terrorist groups responded with massive rocket fire across southern Israel, which, in turn, prompted Israel to pound Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets from the air and with artillery and tank fire. Eventually, both sides agreed to truce proposals drawn up by Egyptian, Qatari and United Nations mediators and quiet was restored just hours before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Despite the restoration of calm, leaders on both sides indicated that the lull in hostilities was likely to be temporary. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was readying for further confrontations with the armed groups. “Over the past two days, we have hit Hamas and Islamic Jihad with great force, attacking over 350 targets and terrorist leaders and activists, and destroying terrorist infrastructure,” he said. “The campaign is not over and requires patience and judgment. We are preparing to continue. The goal was and remains to ensure the peace and security of the residents of the south.” Hamas blamed Israel for the escalation, accusing Jerusalem of failing to fully implement elements of the previous truce agreement, particularly relating to the transfer of Qatari money to the Gaza Strip. “The resistance managed to deter the Israeli army,” said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri. “Our message is that this round is over, but the conflict will not end until we regain our rights.” Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah said his organization was hours away from firing rockets at Tel Aviv when the truce was announced. He described the May confrontation as merely a “live-fire exercise” in preparation for a larger conflict, which he predicted could come as early as this summer. Hamas aims to lift the 12-year-old land and maritime siege on Gaza, enforced by Israel and Egypt. Israel claims the measures are necessary to prevent more weapons from reaching the armed groups. The four Israeli fatalities – one of whom was killed when a Kornet anti-tank missile hit his car close to the border – marked the highest number of Israeli civilians killed since the 2014 war, named Operation Protective Edge by Israel. Almost 700 rockets were fired into southern Israel over a 48-hour period, confining hundreds of thousands of residents to bomb shelters. The Iron Dome system succeeded in intercepting about 85 percent of the incoming projectiles. Six high-rise buildings in Gaza containing militia intelligence offices were bombed after residents who also live there were told to leave their apartments. Five apartment buildings where military commanders lived were also destroyed. An Islamic Jihad terror tunnel was hit from the air and destroyed in a pinpoint strike close to the border in the southern Gaza Strip. As part of its response, Israel also carried out a targeted killing against Hamed Khudari, a money-changer who was involved in transferring funds from Iran to Islamic Jihad and Hamas. However, despite the fact that Israel sent an armored brigade and extra forces to the border, it was clear that there was little appetite for a large-scale ground incursion. The flare-up came just days before Israel marked Memorial Day for its fallen soldiers and Independence Day and only a week before Tel Aviv was due to host the Eurovision Song Contest. With thousands of visitors from abroad and attention across the continent focused on Israel, the last thing the country needed at this juncture was a war with rockets falling on Tel Aviv, putting the song contest in jeopardy. Under the terms of the ceasefire deal, restrictions were to be eased on goods and people coming in and out of Gaza, and economic aid and development programs will be implemented in an effort to ease the soaring unemployment and deepening poverty in the Strip. Tension was evident between Blue and White leader Benny Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the opening of the Knesset's new session on April 30 (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM) The agreement to end the fighting was criticized by the incoming Opposition as well as by some members of the nascent government. Former top general Benny Gantz, head of the centrist Blue and White party, which challenged Netanyahu's Likud in last month's election, said Israel had lost its deterrence under Netanyahu. “Almost 700 launches into Israeli territory, many wounded and hurt, and four killed, all of them the result of the loss of deterrence, ends with another surrender to the blackmail of Hamas.” Likud MK Gideon Sa'ar attacked the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, saying Israel failed to achieve any of its goals with the truce, adding that the battle with the Gaza-based terror group was not won, but merely delayed. “The ceasefire, in the circumstances it was reached under, has no gains for Israel,” said Sa'ar. “The time between each round of violent attacks against Israel and its citizens is shrinking, and terror organizations in Gaza are strengthening. The fighting hasn't been ended, just pushed off.” A few days after the truce, Israel extended the fishing zone off the Gaza coast to 12 nautical miles. The border protests on the first Friday of Ramadan passed relatively quietly, even though a Palestinian protester was killed and 30 injured. Israel also agreed to the transfer of Qatari money and the reopening of the Erez crossing and the Karni crossing for the entry of goods trucks, as well as the resumption of fuel supplies. In return, Hamas committed to a ceasefire, reducing protests along the border with Israel and stopping the launching of incendiary balloons into Israeli territory. It is not clear if the next round will come in a matter of weeks or months, but even as Egyptian intelligence officials returned to Gaza to shore up the ceasefire agreement, the sides were already preparing for a future escalation. But Gaza was and remains a political problem, not a military problem. Until the more than 2 million residents are given some hope of a better economic future and an end to the dire humanitarian crisis, further bouts of cross-border violence seem merely a question of time.

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