There will be no Israeli ground operation in Gaza. What's next?

Apparently, there will be no ground operation in Gaza as Washington has put enough pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The story of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may serve as an example of how the crisis in the Middle East going to develop.

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Netanyahu unexpectedly postpones ground operation in Gaza

Israeli media quote military analyst Avi Issacharoff, who believes that the start of the Israeli ground operation in the Gaza Strip is being postponed at the initiative of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whereas the army is ready. In his opinion, "the international community will soon stop us.”

In other words, the man who declared his readiness to exterminate Hamas five times in the last few days has lost heart. Netanyahu has a reputation of the official who let the October 7 attacks happen, who for years pursued a policy to strengthen Hamas and weaken the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank, so as not to negotiate with Palestine.

"Does the prime minister who is hesitant to launch a ground operation really want to destroy Hamas? Issacharoff wonders.

Washington put tough pressure on Netanyahu

It was only the United States that could show influence on Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli prime minister stands on the brink of political death, and Washington still remains the guarantor of Israel's security. The US supports Israel with weapons and resources, including administrative ones.

They probably explained it to Netanyahu that a ground operation could end in a major bloodbath, and the reaction of the international community to its consequences would be unpleasant for the United States. In addition, it is not ruled out that the United States made it clear to Netanyahu that the US would not be able to help Israel should Hezbollah (Lebanon) and other Iranian proxy forces (e.g. Turkey with its 500,000-strong army) get involved into the conflict.

According to US media, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was conducting negotiations.

The result of the pressure is clear: IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus told Australia's ABC Radio on Monday, October 23, that Israel's ground operation in the Gaza Strip might not take place if Hamas comes out of hiding, releases hostages and surrenders unconditionally."

If they don't do it, Israel will most likely start the ground operation, he added.

What will happen to Hamas and Gaza?

The ball is on Hamas's side. Most likely, though, everything has already been agreed upon and the Palestinians will release hostages.

"We are ready to release them, but there should be favourable conditions for this to happen. The aggression in the Gaza Strip must be stopped, and aid must be allowed into Gaza," Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad said in an interview with the BBC.

As for "surrender,” if Hamas meets Israel's first demand, long negotiations will follow to discuss the second one. By analogy with Nagorno-Karabakh: if Hamas and Gaza surrender, then the story will end up with the destruction of Hamas and the annexation of Gaza. Qatar and Iran may also be part of this "surrender" — it is enough for them to turn their backs on Hamas and Gaza.

What US fears most

According to The New York Times, Israel's war on two fronts, in the south and in the north (Hezbollah), could get both the United States and Iran involved. As Washington gets drawn deeper into the conflict, its focus on Taiwan may wane, the newspaper said. Roughly speaking, one has to choose, and this choice is not related to Israel. Washington's prime goal is to contain China.

The bloody conflict in the Middle East has been dragging on for more than two weeks. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said during a press conference on Saturday, October 21, that the Gaza death toll reached 4,385 people, including 1,756 children and 967 women (over 13,500 were hurt). Seventy percent of the victims are women, children and the elderly, the ministry said.

According to Israel, terrorist group Hama" launched a sudden land, air and sea attack on the State of Israel. Under the cover of a massive missile attack, more than 2,500 militants crossed the border and attacked southern regions, killing more than 1,400 people, the vast majority of them civilians of all ages. They also kidnapped more than 200 people, men, women and children and took them to Gaza.

Russia condemns the actions that Hamas committed against Israel on October 7, there can be no justification for such actions, representatives for the Russian Mission to the UN said, TASS reports.

According to most recent reports, foreign citizens captured by Hamas militants during attacks in southern Israel will be released in the coming hours, Israeli news website Ynet reports.