Israel prepares for all-out war
There's little hope of de-escalation after Hamas' devastating assault on Israel.
The next phase of Israel’s response to the shocking Hamas attack will likely be lengthy and brutal.
The country's military is massing tens of thousands of troops along its border in preparation for a potential ground war in Gaza with the stated goal of eradicating the militant group’s hold on the densely populated strip.
“What was in Gaza will be no more,” Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said overnight. “They will regret [their actions].”
For years, Israel’s policy of containment had sought to isolate and constrain Hamas, recognising going further would require protracted conflict at great cost to civilian lives. But the devastating manner of the weekend’s assault, which saw Hamas gunmen kill more than 1,000 civilians and take dozens more hostage, has left little room for de-escalation. Retaliatory Israeli airstrikes have already claimed significant casualties in Gaza.
