Israel is likely to need every one of the 300,000 soldiers it is amassing on the border with Gaza if, as now seems likely, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a full-scale invasion of the Palestinian enclave.
The first signs of an imminent attack are so-called shaping operations – punitive strikes in a bid to test the water and see how the enemy responds. These are already happening in the form of airstrikes against Hamas’s headquarters, strong points and ammunition dumps.
The cost to Israel will be high in both blood and treasure
At the same time, senior Israeli commanders will currently be stockpiling masses of ammunition, missiles and rockets – along with rations, water and medical equipment to deal with the scores of wounded troops in the coming months of fighting.
It is possible that Prime Minister Netanyahu may offer the two million residents of Gaza a safe route out of the area, with the warning that those who remain will be regarded as combatants.
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