In the early hours of 9 May, the Israeli army assassinated three military commanders of Saray Al-Quds, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. All three were killed, along with ten members of their families including women and children.
Mediation led by Egypt resulted in a ceasefire between the two sides, including an end to the targeting of civilians and individuals and the demolition of buildings. Cairo urged both sides to uphold the tenets of the agreement, and said it would monitor its implementation.
There were a few breaches once the agreement came into force, including rockets fired from Gaza at neighbouring Israeli towns and settlements, and the Israeli army bombed military lookouts and sites on the eastern border of Gaza. Otherwise, the ceasefire has remained in place.
During Israel’s escalation in Gaza, 33 Palestinians, including six children, three women, and two elderly people were martyred, according to figures issued by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. More than 190 Palestinians were injured in the attacks by the Israeli army. Some 2,041 Palestinian homes were partially damaged during the bombings, with damages worth $9 million. Losses in the agricultural sector alone reached $3 million, and $40 million in the economy overall, according to a report published by the media office of the government in Gaza.
The Israeli army used more than 400 missiles and bombs as it targeted homes, buildings and agricultural land in the Gaza Strip, of which 115 were dropped by drones. The army also used the advanced US-made GBU-39 bombs, which are armour piercing, during the assassination operations against the military commanders.
Israel said those “smart bombs” achieve direct hits on the person they are targeting, but the attacks also killed civilians, such as Jamal Khaswan, a Palestinian doctor who is a dual Russian citizen, his wife and son, who was a medical student.
Israeli missiles also killed or injured all members of Tarek Ezzeddin’s family, who was the main target. His two children Myar and Ali were killed, and his wife and other son were injured. Ezzeddin, who is originally from the West Bank, was a Palestinian detainee who was released during the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel, under Egyptian auspices, in 2011.
Armed Palestinian factions fired more than 1,100 locally-made rockets at Israel during this round of escalation, while the Israeli army used David’s Sling defence system to intercept a rocket heading towards Tel Aviv.
Israel views this round of confrontations as achieving a handful of military goals, most notably the elimination of prominent military commanders in the Islamic Jihad. It has assassinated Jihad Al-Ghanam, a member of the group’s military council, the military leader Khalil Al-Bahtini, the commander of the group’s rocket unit Ali Ghanam, his deputy Ahmed Abu Daqah, and the head of operations in Saray Al-Quds Iyad Al-Hosni.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who issued joyful statements about his “victory”, talked about greater military and political goals. He succeeded in gathering right-wing parties in his government coalition around him again, after they had boycotted him to pressure him into stiffer measures against armed Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip.
During a visit to Askalan, the city that was bombarded with rockets fired by Islamic Jihad during escalation, Netanyahu said, “we are changing the balance of deterrence.”
Hatem Abu Zaydeh, an expert on Israeli affairs, said that “the escalation was based on an urgent need for the Israeli leadership to strengthen the so-called deterrence capacity, especially with the declining image of Netanyahu’s right-wing government on the Israeli street. This stems from a political decision rather than a military one, and Netanyahu was focused on a limited military confrontation.”
Abu Zaydeh told Al-Ahram Weekly: “The operation was part of the Netanyahu government’s search for a quick and low-cost military operation. It looked for the weakest link in various arenas, finding Gaza and specifically the Islamic Jihad movement.” Hamas did not openly participate in this military operation, despite confirmations by military and political officials that they were coordinating with Islamic Jihad.
According to Abu Zaydeh, “Netanyahu achieved more political than military victories. First, regarding internal disputes in his government coalition, escalation ended all bickering. It also brought back the mass popularity of Netanyahu and the Likud Party among the right-wing public in Israel. Also, despite its limitations, it will enable him to confront opponents of his coalition’s plan to reform the judiciary.”
Nazir Majli, a political analyst, agrees, noting that Israel is dealing with the crisis in Gaza through a military lens. “This has not changed, and at the conclusion of the military operation, preparations for a new military operation began.”
Majli told the Weekly that “so far, Israel has carried out 17 military operations against Gaza, and no final solution is in place for the battle between Israel and armed factions in Gaza.”
As for the positive outcome of the military operation for Israel, he stated, “Israel used advanced drones and weapons, which opens up a global market and increases the sale of Israeli weapons.”
He added, “Netanyahu succeeded in halting the downward spiral of his popularity among the Israeli public, and the possibility of losing power. He was also able to improve his political position and power in quarrels with his right-wing partners. He further gained leverage against the Israeli opposition, which will enable him to play the security card in the coming phase. This is disconcerting for Israelis, and prevents the overthrow of his government.”
Despite the military operation in Gaza, the Flag March scheduled for Thursday in the occupied city of Jerusalem hints at the possibility of a new confrontation between Israel and armed Palestinian factions. Israel asserts the procession will take place as scheduled, and the route will not be amended despite threats by armed groups in Gaza.
Abu Zaydeh stressed “there is a great probability of military escalation between Israel and armed groups in Gaza, especially since Israel is saying that boosting its deterrence power cannot happen in five days. Also, the operation is a prelude for a broader and larger military operation against the Gaza Strip, and may coincide with a similar military operation in the West Bank.”
He continued: “Indicators of military escalation are still present, and there are many explosive hotbeds for a new military confrontation between Israel and Palestinian factions. A new war between the two sides in the coming months is not entirely to be ruled out.”
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s extremist minister of National Security, called for a large-scale military operation in the West Bank on the heels of the Israeli army’s recent onslaught – which Ben-Gvir had pressed for. Following his statements, the Palestinian Authority urged the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant against Ben-Gvir.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 18 May, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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