By winter, diseases and epidemics will spread in the Gaza Strip. The entry of the occupation forces into the heart of Gaza City will lead to the martyrdom of a large number of civilians. The occupation is advancing slowly for fear of losses among its ranks and Hamas targeting them with anti-tank missiles

The Israeli army claims that the intensified air strikes on Gaza yesterday were aimed at supporting its ground forces to continue advancing towards other areas, targeting Hamas tunnels in advance and trying to achieve “achievements.”

But Israel's estimates indicate that "Hamas is very far from its breaking point and it is of course not expected to raise a white flag," according to what the Maariv newspaper reported today, Monday.

The newspaper added that Israel expects the war on Gaza to continue for a long time, and its operations inside the Gaza Strip will be slow, claiming that accelerating them will pose a threat to the lives of its soldiers.

The newspaper pointed out that the “weak point” of Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip is the tunnels, “which make the fighting in the built-up area very complex, and while Hamas forces are trying to target the Israeli forces, through the tunnels, and pay them a price with deaths and injuries. Most of Hamas’ tactical successes were achieved by anti-armor shells.” ".

Israel  estimates that hundreds of thousands of Palestinian citizens are still present in Gaza City. In parallel, the Israeli campaign continues against hospitals in the Gaza Strip, claiming that Hamas is using them as shelters.

While Israel intends to move to other areas in the Gaza Strip, which will lead to the continuation of the war on Gaza for many months, the newspaper indicated that these occupation plans may clash with the position of the United States, which informed Israel that it must end the ground incursion within weeks.

According to the newspaper "Haaretz", "At the end of the thirtieth day of the war, it is better not to delude ourselves. Israel does not have unlimited time to fight Hamas. Even when the Prime Minister, the Minister of Security and other officials talk about a battle that will last as long as required, and they pledge to eliminate Hamas and kill Yahya Sinwar, the consequences of the war on the international arena cannot be completely ignored. There, the United States has considerations that it must take into account, despite its unprecedented political and military support for Israel.

The newspaper pointed out that American messages in this regard reach Israel from President Biden, the Pentagon, and Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken. The newspaper quoted Israeli officials familiar with these American messages as saying that the issue of the American administration losing its patience with Israel is “when.” It is estimated that the US administration will express its impatience to Israel during the period between Thanksgiving, on November 23, and Christmas Eve, on December 24.

The newspaper repeated American estimates that the administration is concerned about the lack of an Israeli plan to exit the war on Gaza. It added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long refused to discuss the situation to end the war.

Israeli  forces are still encircling Gaza City. The newspaper pointed out that “the forces’ incursion into the heart of Gaza City increases the risk of making mistakes. First, while rescuing a force, it will need air support that would target many (Palestinian) civilians. Second, because of the overcrowding in which the fighting is taking place, a larger number of civilians will be targeted.” ".

The newspaper added that the situation in the Strip will become more tragic with the advent of winter. Due to the massive destruction, the Strip will be filled with mud, and it will then be difficult to keep the water and sewage networks running. The bodies of the martyrs are still under the rubble, and this situation threatens the spread of diseases and epidemics. This danger also intensifies in the south of the Gaza Strip due to severe crowding as a result of displacement to this area.

Meanwhile, Israeli raids and artillery shelling on Lebanon, and the killing of civilians in particular, are pushing Hezbollah to escalate its attacks on the border areas. “Maariv” stated that Israeli estimates are that Hezbollah may “further escalate its reactions in the coming days, and according to developments in the war in Gaza. Expanding the firing of rocket shells to a greater range in the north of the country is a very reasonable possibility. If the fighting in Gaza continues for a long time, "The possibilities for further escalation will increase."

According to the New York Times, the Biden administration conveyed messages to Iran and Hezbollah, through regional mediators, including Turkey, that the United States is preparing to intervene militarily in the fight against them if they attack Israel.

Source: Arab48+agencies