Israel’s ‘third phase’ of war on Gaza faces tenacious resistance
Gaza City (Quds News Network) – Throughout of course of the ongoing Israeli war of genocide on Gaza, Israeli officials have been alluding to a pivotal “third phase” as the next stage after the first and second phases of their military operations.
The term gained prominence through various anonymous Israeli and American sources, eventually drawing acknowledgment from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to statements from Israeli authorities, the third phase would involve a significant reduction in ground military operations within Gaza. Instead, there would be a focus on “surgical operations,” selective military raids targeting strongholds of groups like Hamas in areas such as Deir Al-Balah and Khan Yunis.
However, the question arises: Is the declaration of a third phase an admission of success in the previous stages? The supposed achievements include dismantling resistance in northern Gaza in the first phase and military advancements with the destruction of Hamas capabilities in the central and southern regions in the second.
Despite Israeli claims of success, events on the ground suggest otherwise. On the same day Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari explained the nature of the third phase, both Al-Qassam Brigades and Al-Quds Brigades, the military arms of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad movements, countered any potential success of this new stage.
The former reportedly killed nine officers and wounded many others while launching rockets towards Tel Aviv, marking what Israeli Channel 12 described as the ‘harshest day’ for the Israeli military in Gaza since the war’s onset.
Al-Quds Brigades fired rockets at the Gaza envelope region, particularly targeting Sderot, a clear indication that the supposed pacification of northern Gaza in the first phase had not been achieved.
The failure to attain stated objectives – destroying Hamas, dismantling the resistance, and gaining control of Gaza – calls into question the credibility of moving into a third phase. It appears to signal an Israeli failure to defeat the Palestinian forces.
The ‘third phase’ might be interpreted as an Israeli attempt to gradually conclude the war without officially declaring its end. Netanyahu, facing domestic pressures, may seek to maintain a sense of urgency in Israeli society to prolong his political leadership.
However, the Palestinian resistance has demonstrated that the decision to continue or end the war is not solely in Netanyahu’s hands.
If Israel persists with the same intensity in Gaza, it risks further hardships, as evidenced by the toll on its soldiers. Alternatively, if it retreats to buffer zones, it plays into the hands of the Palestinian resistance skilled in guerrilla warfare.
The prospect of a full retreat back to the Gaza envelope presents two scenarios: a truce agreement allowing the retrieval of military captives or a withdrawal without an agreement. In either case, Netanyahu’s days in politics are numbered.
