Israel: Carlo Masala assesses the military situation

After Hamas attacks
Carlo Masala assesses the military situation in Israel – with a concerned look to the south and north

The attacks of Hamas against Israel are the bloodiest in years. One day after the terrorist organization invaded the south of the country, Israel reports 700 deaths – and the number is rising. Hundreds of Israelis who were kidnapped by Hamas fighters are still missing.

Israel: This is the military situation

Military expert Carlo Masala wrote in one Guest post for ZDF, it was “only a matter of time” before Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza would begin. The aim is the “final destruction of the terrorist organization Hamas,” said Masala.

But before that, the military has one more task on Israeli territory: parts of the south are still under attack. Tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers are deployed in southern Israel in the area around the Gaza Strip to fight “terrorists” and achieve the “liberation of hostages,” said army spokesman Daniel Hagari. All Israeli residents near the Gaza Strip should be evacuated within 24 hours. At the same time, the Israeli Air Force is in the process of attacking Hamas sites in Gaza. According to the military, more than 50 combat aircraft have destroyed around 120 targets belonging to Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU, the USA and Israel, in the past few hours, according to the military.

Second front possible in the north

“When Israel has regained control of its own territory, the hot phase of the ground operation will begin. Israel will most likely initially concentrate on freeing the Israeli hostages” (sic), explains Masala on ZDF. “If the secret service has information about where the hostages are, special forces will probably operate in Gaza first to free them.” This was followed by the “massive ground offensive”.

According to the expert’s assessment, such a ground operation would likely take months. What is worrying for Masala is the development in the north of the country. A second front could emerge there if Hezbollah fighters from Lebanon attack Israel. On Sunday they fired rockets that Israel was able to repel.

“It only becomes critical when Hezbollah terrorists infiltrate Israel from Lebanon to carry out attacks there. Then Israel finds itself in a two-front war that it has to wage in the Gaza Strip and against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon,” explains Masala.

Expert Masala fears that the “gates to hell” could be opened by another player. If Israel defeats Hamas and Hezbollah militarily, Iran could get involved. The country is the “main sponsor of terrorism against Israel.” And so Iran could “see itself forced to actively intervene in this conflict with longer-range missiles in order to save its most important allies in the fight against Israel from final destruction,” said Masala.

Meanwhile, the USA has already announced that it wants to send further military aid to Israel. A delivery of equipment and ammunition was dispatched on Sunday. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also announced that the aircraft carrier “USS Gerald R. Ford” and its accompanying ships were being relocated to the eastern Mediterranean.

source: ZDF

ls / with material from AFP and dpa