The Israeli Defense Forces were supposed to launch a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, but the situation is still uncertain. Find out why world leaders oppose operations in Gaza and what consequences a war between Palestine and Israel would have for the world

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Last week, Israel announced its readiness for a full-scale offensive against Hamas militants. In his address to the military, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said that "the Gaza Strip will never be the same again."

Armored units numbering several hundred thousand people were deployed on the border with the Gaza Strip, but the ground operation was postponed, and the Israeli military command warned that the war would last a long time and that victory for Hamas was not a matter of days or weeks.

What is happening in Israel now and what is known about the Israeli laser defense system?

The ground operation, which was scheduled for October 14-15, has been postponed due to cloud cover. According to Israeli officers, the weather conditions would have made it difficult for pilots and drone operators to provide air cover for ground troops. However, the IDF said it was finalizing preparations for the operation in the Gaza Strip.

On October 15, a video was posted online showing the latest Iron Laser (IL) air defense laser system allegedly firing at enemy rockets. This type of defense system is officially due to enter service in Israel in 2024.

The IL is capable of destroying projectiles and mines that are too small to be "detected" by the Iron Dome (ID), and one interception by the laser system, according to preliminary data, will cost much less. In particular, we are talking about a difference of 3-4 dollars (IL) versus 50 thousand dollars (ID).

However, the IDF did not deny the use of the Iron Laser air defense system, and a little later, Israeli journalist Itay Blumenthal denied the use of this air defense system on his Twitter account.

What is the Gaza Strip and what is the complexity of the ground operation for Israel?

The Gaza Strip is a small Palestinian enclave on the Mediterranean coast. This territory has a small area of approximately 360 square kilometers and is fenced off by a powerful defense system on the part of Israel. 

It is worth noting that this small area is home to more than 2.2 million people, and given the small number of high-rise buildings, the density of residential development in the Gaza Strip is very high.

At the same time, several tens of thousands of armed militants of Hamas and Islamic Jihad are concentrated on the territory. Therefore, it will be a very difficult operation for Israel. After all, the complete destruction of Hamas, with the militants' support from the local population, very densely populated areas and underground passages used by the Palestinians to quickly move and store weapons and ammunition, cause a number of problems for the IDF.

Currently, the Gaza Strip is under blockade, but it is not the military groups that suffer the most, but the civilian population. After all, while the militants have considerable supplies of food and fuel, the same cannot be said for the locals. Therefore, Israel risks civilian lives not only during the ground operation, but also by continuing to blockade the Gaza Strip.

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What conditions does Hamas put forward?

Hamas does not recognize Israel as a state and believes that it should not exist in any form. At the same time, the militants claim that they will allow Israelis to live on their land.

Thus, Hamas believes that Israel is their occupied territory, and therefore they are "fighting for a Palestinian state" in an attempt to regain the rights they have been deprived of.

Who does not support Israel in conducting a large-scale offensive?

Due to the fact that the conflict between Hamas and Israel poses a threat to the civilian population, a number of world leaders have stated that Israel must not only destroy the militants, but also preserve Palestinian statehood. In particular, Joe Biden spoke about the need to preserve the Palestinian government:

"This path, called the two-state solution, has been U.S. policy for decades. It provides for the creation of an independent state alongside Israel for the 5 million Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank," he said.

In addition, according to U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, the United States does not support the proposals for the mass resettlement of Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip, which were put forward by Israel the day before.

Germany also calls on Israel to "not exceed self-defense."

How many people died in the war between Israel and Palestine?

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 2,300 Palestinians have been killed so far. At the same time, the number of wounded is over 9000.

In Israel, about 1300 people have been killed, not only Israelis but also foreigners, including Ukrainians. In addition, according to preliminary data, the number of wounded exceeds 3400.

At the same time, hundreds or even thousands of foreigners have been blocked from the Gaza Strip. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, about 260 of them are Ukrainians. It should be noted that Israel does not allow the evacuation of foreigners blocked in the Gaza Strip.

What consequences could the war in the Middle East have for the world?

It is likely that the geopolitical situation in the Middle East will change, because a large number of conflicts that have accumulated over the years cannot disappear by themselves. However, the question of the scale of this war remains, as the world is already talking about the fact that we are on the verge of World War III.

At the same time, even if the crisis does not reach a global scale, the situation in the Middle East remains critical, as Israel's determination and the immediate response to Hamas' attack by the United States, which has already pulled an aircraft carrier group to the Israeli coast, are heating up the situation to an unprecedented level.

It is also important to keep in mind that events in the Middle East will inevitably affect the economic situation around the world, including the price of oil and the stability of its supply. Therefore, the giant countries are closely monitoring the developments.

We remind you! The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is part of the broader Arab-Israeli conflict. Read more about why Israel and Palestine have been in confrontation for so many years and why Hamas was able to take the Israelis by surprise in our previous article.

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