ALBAWABA - Following strong resistance from Israel's Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has changed his original plan to take the whole Gaza Strip to a limited operation aimed at Gaza City.
Zamir hasn't said why he made this choice, but experts think it has to do with the army's inability to carry out such a large-scale action without losing a lot of soldiers. The Israeli military is under a lot of stress after almost two years of heavy fighting on the ground in Gaza, which has caused a lot of damage and a blockade meant to starve the people there.
Reports say that a lot fewer reserve soldiers are answering the calls to duty, tanks and other armed vehicles are getting badly damaged, and more and more troops are experiencing mental stress. Because of these problems, the army's leaders aren't sure if any big attack will work or even if it will just focus on Gaza City.
Former top military, Shin Bet, and Mossad officials have often asked what the war Netanyahu started on October 7, 2023, was for. Many people say that his military tactics have backfired and hurt Israel's image around the world while failing to beat the Palestinian resistance.
Some think that the scaled-down plan to focus on Gaza City has the same operating risks as a full control. Military officials are still worried about losses that could happen on the ground, such as troops leaving the fight while they are being attacked, which could lower confidence and quickly spread among forces.
Some people think that Netanyahu may be using the Gaza City plan more as a political tool to put pressure on Hamas than as a firm promise to go to war. Critics say that he keeps trying even though he is failing more and more because he wants to keep his political power, keep working with far-right groups, and avoid going to jail.
Netanyahu is under more and more pressure from the rest of the world, especially European countries that are threatening to stop sending arms and apply sanctions. At the same time, the Palestinian resistance keeps showing strength on the ground and is still adamant about finishing the war, which makes any Israeli attack very difficult.
Analysts say that Netanyahu's habit of announcing new "decisive" military plans after every failed operation without changing the balance of power could cause Israel to suffer more strategic and political losses. Military experts think that the resistance still has a lot of power to change the result, even if the Gaza City plan fails before it can be put into action.
