Israel and Gaza militias, between ground war and containment

The Israeli army and Palestinian militias in the Gaza Strip maintained Thursday, for the fourth consecutive day, the escalation of the war that has already caused 117 deaths and that, while international mediators are trying to stop, could explode into another devastating war if Israel implements its plans for a ground operation.

Overnight, three rockets fired from Lebanon into Israel, so far without claim of responsibility, introduced another unpredictable factor to the tense situation in which Israeli troops are already mobilized around the enclave. 

After an early morning of incessant firing from the enclave, the continuation of attacks by both sides today forced the populations of Gaza and neighboring Israeli communities to take cover. 

The anti-aircraft alarms sounded again in the city of Tel Aviv, which in this escalation has become a recurrent target of the Palestinian militias, and were also activated in Eilat, in the extreme south of the country, whose airport was closed due to the launching of a missile.

At least 160 projectiles were fired from Gaza into Israeli territory, 30 of which landed inside the enclave.

According to the Israeli army, 300 of them fell inside Gaza and hundreds were intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system.

Israel, for its part, bombed sites from which the militias launched rockets, as well as rocket manufacturing plants in the center of the enclave.

The day's targets, all allegedly belonging to the Islamist Hamas movement, also included four apartments used by senior Hamas officials for operational planning, an intelligence headquarters and the residence of a militiaman described as in charge of the group's drone unit.

The incidents in recent hours caused new fatalities in Gaza, where according to the Health Ministry 109 people have died in the last four days, including 27 children and 11 women. 

In Israel, the death toll rose to eight following the death of an 87-year-old woman who fell and fatally struck her head as she ran into the shelter at the sound of anti-aircraft alarms.

Throughout the day and in the face of continued attacks from Gaza, the possibility of an Israeli ground operation began to gain momentum.

The Army confirmed the dispatch of troops to the Gaza border. "We have ground units that are ready and are in various stages of preparation for ground operations," said a military spokesman. 

In relation to this possibility, a spokesman for the al Qasam Brigades, Hamas' armed wing, noted today that "any ground incursion into any area of the Gaza Strip will be an opportunity to increase the number of enemy killed and captured."

In parallel with these threats, on the other hand, Egypt, the usual mediator between Israel and the militias in Gaza, seeks to avoid a fourth war in the area.

To this end, it sent a delegation to Tel Aviv to try to broker a cease-fire, although Egyptian sources acknowledged that the Israeli authorities were "intransigent" and insisted on the need for "an offensive to respond to Hamas attacks".

The arrival of this delegation follows that which on Wednesday visited the Gaza Strip to discuss the terms of a truce with representatives of the Islamist movement.

Meanwhile, the international community, led by the United States and the United Nations, continues to insist that the parties cease hostilities.

The United States has put the brakes on the organization for this Friday of an open meeting of the UN Security Council on the escalating violence in the Middle East, arguing that it is preferable to wait a few days to give more time to ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Norway, China and Tunisia, three members of the Security Council, had proposed holding a first public meeting on the current crisis this Friday, following two closed-door sessions this week, diplomatic sources said Thursday.

However, the United States put the brakes on the initiative, asking to delay it by a few days, according to the same sources.

"We are willing and supportive of the discussion, an open discussion, at the United Nations. I think we are looking at early next week. That will hopefully give some time for diplomacy to have some effect and let's see if in fact we have a real de-escalation," U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said.

Blinken made the remarks during a press conference in Washington with his Australian counterpart, Marise Payne.

Washington announced on Wednesday that it was sending a diplomat to the Middle East to seek de-escalation and mediate in the conflict.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council has so far not officially expressed itself on the crisis, after the US did not accept a proposal circulated by other members, arguing that it would not be useful to de-escalate the tension, according to diplomatic sources.

Such statements usually require the unanimity of the 15 member states of the Council, where Washington has traditionally been Israel's main supporter.

With regard to the convening of a new meeting, in this case an open one, the Norwegian delegation to the UN assured that it is working intensively together with China and Tunisia to reach a "consensus" and that this meeting be held as soon as possible.

"The situation is critical. Norway continues to urge all parties to stop the attacks immediately," the Nordic country's representation said.

Blinken, in Washington, again defended that Israel has the right to defend itself against rockets launched from Gaza, a message that has been repeated in recent days by U.S. President Joe Biden, who has conveyed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his "unwavering" support for the country's security.

The head of US diplomacy insisted on differentiating between the actions of Hamas, "a terrorist organization that is indiscriminately attacking civilians", and Israel, which is defending itself from these attacks.

Blinken said he was very concerned about the loss of life, especially of children, and also expressed his concern about the violence in the streets of Israel between Jews and Muslims.

The Secretary of State stressed that both Israelis and Palestinians have the right to live in freedom, peace and security, and assured that this principle will guide U.S. policies.

What is the worst escalation of violence between Palestinians and Israelis in the last seven years is already spreading to different cities, and the Israeli army moved more troops to the border with Gaza on Thursday in view of a possible ground operation inside the strip, while the massive rocket fire from militias inside the enclave and Israeli bombardments continue.