Gaza’s dense urban environment and the need to abide by the laws of war will inevitably complicate its mission to extirpate Hamas.
Nearly three weeks after Hamas’s barbaric invasion and slaughter of innocent civilians and children, Israel has yet to launch a full-scale ground operation into Gaza’s dense urban environment. This week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally announced that Israel is preparing for an invasion, and over the last two nights, Israeli troops launched ground raids into Gaza. The larger ground mission, however, was delayed to allow the U.S. to place additional missile-defense systems in the region and to try to secure the release of the more than 220 hostages taken by Hamas. Far from a sign of weakness, the pause shows that Israel’s government and armed forces are treating the situation with the responsibility and prudence that urban warfare warrants, in accordance with international law.
