Turkey- Experts rule out impending Israeli onslaught on Gaza

(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) Many Palestinian political analysts have ruled out that Israel is likely to launch a new war on the Gaza Strip due to what they described by "political brakes" which would prevent any military confrontation in the foreseeable future between Israel and Hamas.

Recently the number of Israeli threats about the possibility of triggering war on the Gaza Strip has increased following the announcement of al-Qassam Brigades the armed wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) about the death of seven of its members during their work on repairing a tunnel near the Gaza border with Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened Hamas last Sunday if it used tunnels in possible attacks against Israel.

Netanyahu said "If we were attacked through these tunnels that are stretched from the Gaza Strip we will respond by very great force against Hamas and stronger than what had been used in the last war."

An expert on the Israeli affairs Antoine Shalhat has ruled out that Israel is likely to launch a new war on the Gaza Strip at least in the foreseeable future as he said.

Shalhat said in his interview with Anadolu Agency that "the decision of launching war is not easy it is true that the real situation is fragile and Gaza looks like the moving sands but there are political indications which prevent or delay any close encounter between Israel and the resistance in Gaza."

He went on to note that "Hamas which controls the Gaza Strip and manages the reins of power there and is considered on the top of the resistance' movements by its armed wing does not seem that it is enthusiastic enough to participate in any coming war especially in light of the imposed siege hence the reconstruction operation of the damage inflicted by the last war hasn't finished yet."

"The wounds also have not recovered yet the Palestinian resistance needs to be more ready and there are other factors which may prevent such confrontation to occur soon."

But as for the international factor Shalhat considered that it may be "prohibitive" for such confrontation but he also said that "the situation is not ideal for Israel to launch a war on Gaza these days there are no justifications for such decision the speech of the resistance in Gaza is not mere than emotional or in order to deliver a message of its capability for such confrontation."

The official spokesman of Al-Qassam Brigades Abu Obaida warned in a recent speech the Israeli army from thinking to launch a war on the Gaza Strip.

Shalhat added that if the reconciliation between Turkey and Israel takes place it may be a motivation to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip which could prevent the deterioration of the security situation there.

Turkish officials said that normalization of the mutual relations with Israel is conditioned with the lifting of the siege on Gaza.

During the 2014 conflict more than 2322 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip -- the vast majority of them civilians -- and 11000 others injured while much of the strip’s vital infrastructure was destroyed by fierce Israeli bombardment.

According to Israeli figures meanwhile 68 Israeli soldiers and five civilians were killed in the conflict and 2522 Israelis -- including 740 soldiers -- were injured.

During the offensive the Israeli army announced that it had destroyed over 30 cross-border tunnels with some Israeli military officials expressing surprise at the extent of the tunnel-building.

Tayseer Muheisen a political analyst and the professor of political science at Al-Azhar University in Gaza argues that the resistance in Gaza and Israel "are exchanging political messages through these mutual threats."

He added for Anadolu Agency that "at these moments and in terms of these facts there are no indications that there is a war on the horizon."

He went on to note that "what have been exchanged between Hamas and Israel are political messages which aim to remind the Israeli party that there are dues that have not been completed yet with respect to the terms of the truce."

In August of last year Israel signed a cease-fire deal with Palestinian factions including Hamas. The deal ended a devastating 51-day Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip that left some 2160 Palestinians – mostly civilians – dead.

The Palestinian and Israeli sides had agreed on September 23 2014 to hold indirect negotiations shall be brokered by Egypt in order to stabilize the truce a new date had not been set for the resumption of these negotiations until today.

Among the factors that could postpone such war according to Muheisen that Hamas is well aware of the suffering of the Gaza Strip emphasizing that "the ruins of the last war still reminds everyone that the devastating effects of the last aggression have not been recovered yet."

He added that "Hamas is well aware that it is in the preparation stage and Gazans are suffering psychologically and economically I think that the resistance in the Gaza Strip is concerned to mitigate such suffering it is the interest of Hamas to keep this calmness as long as possible."

Mukhaimar Abu Saada the professor of political science at Al-Azhar University in Gaza agrees with the other analysts that the facts on the ground are not suitable for launching a new war on the Gaza Strip.

He said to Anadolu Agency that it is "unacceptable for Israel to launch a war against what Hamas named by the battle of preparation."

Israel has accused al-Qassam Brigades of digging tunnels in the border areas of the Gaza Strip in order to "carry out armed operations against the Israeli army."

Israel says that Hamas conduct missile tests to realize the "accuracy and range of these missiles."

Abu Saada continued that "Israel knows that Hamas is restoring its power after the last war and it is preparing the underground tunnels and it always conduct experiments for its missile but Israel is well aware also that Hamas which is the real governing movement of the Gaza Strip seeks to mitigate the suffering of two millions of Palestinians who live under a severe siege lasts for the tenth year in a row."

The political analyst affirmed that the Israeli government will not gamble to launch a war which may not lead to the desired results of eliminating Hamas' military structure.

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon has said that the Israeli army has to deal calmly and responsibly with the aspect of the Palestinian resistance tunnels along the border with the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Channel Ten had broadcast last Friday a long report on the fears of the Israeli settlers of the arrival of the tunnels from Gaza to the bottom of their homes.

The report pointed out that some of the Israeli residents around the Gaza Strip settlements had fled their homes after hearing voices of digging beneath them as the report had shown one settler holding a knife in his hand when he went to bed; fearing of possible storming by a Palestinian armed group coming from the Gaza Strip through one of these tunnels.

By Ola Atallah