The winds of war buffeting the Gaza Strip increased on the morning of Feb. 4 when Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff, made an appearance at the weekly Cabinet meeting. Eizenkot warned that Gaza is on the verge of collapse and susceptible to a severe humanitarian crisis. Any further deterioration would likely lead to a military confrontation between Israel and Hamas this year, although neither side is interested in war. Eizenkot added that significant steps by Israel are required to avert Gaza's collapse.
The next day, Israeli Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz accused Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and his people of “running around the world to raise money for Hamas.” Katz has floated the idea of creating an import-export terminal and entry-exit point off Gaza to lessen dependence on Israel. In recent years, he has preached in favor of Israel’s total separation from Gaza and imposing responsibility for it on Hamas, Egypt and the rest of the world. Liberman’s policy of keeping Gaza afloat, Katz charges, perpetuates Hamas' rule over the territory and dependence on Israel. As is often the case in the Middle East, these statements conceal drama under the surface.
On Feb. 3, the New York Times reported that over the last two years Israel had conducted at least 100 aerial assaults in Sinai against the Islamic State fighters making mincemeat of the Egyptian army and threatening to undermine stability on the peninsula. According to the article, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi personally authorized the attacks, which helped the Egyptian army regain control over the territory. The top secret assaults involved fighter jets, helicopters and drones. Israeli planes would sometimes fly south after attacking to create the impression of Egyptian jets returning home. The sorties exemplified Israel’s absolute military superiority in the region, complete with accurate intelligence that translated into the almost simultaneous launch of attacks.
Israel is ignoring the report, and military censorship has imposed a blackout on releasing any related details. Education Minister Naftali Bennett, a member of the Security Cabinet, limited himself on Feb. 4 to a general statement, saying, “Israel is not waiting for its enemy to reach its gates. We take action against our enemies far from our borders … and do not restrain ourselves from taking action anywhere.”
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