Said Khatib / Getty
The future trajectory of the Israel–Hamas war is uncertain, but there can be no doubt about one thing: A ground invasion of Gaza is coming, and soon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can no more refrain from a ground invasion and occupation of this slender strip of congested land than President George W. Bush could refrain from attacking al-Qaeda and its Taliban hosts in Afghanistan after 9/11.
The Israeli public’s blood is understandably up, and for the new unity war government in Jerusalem the immediate military objective is unambiguous: degrade Hamas’ military capabilities to the point where the organization can no longer inflict substantial punishment on Israeli citizens from Gaza.