4 months into the battle, the border with Gaza is as quietist because it has been since Hamas launched its assault on October 7. Many fields alongside the border, the place Israeli farmers usually plowed proper as much as the fence, at the moment are inexperienced within the wake of heavy winter rains. Whereas most civilians in these communities stay evacuated, farming continues with volunteers and a few staff who’ve returned.
Throughout the border into Gaza, rocket hearth from Hamas has been lowered to virtually zero every day assaults, a drastic discount from the early October peak of 1000’s fired. Israeli forces in Gaza had been additionally lowered in January, with many items redeploying or leaving the Strip. Whereas there may be concentrate on Rafah, notably within the wake of a raid that freed two hostages on February 12, it’s unclear whether or not Israel will launch an operation within the southern Gaza metropolis forward of Ramadan, which begins in March. Whereas the Islamic holy month will not be essentially a cut-off level for combating, it’s a vacation that probably has an impression on Gaza operations. On the similar time, an Israeli delegation traveled to Cairo on February 13 to barter with Egypt, america and Qatar on a possible ceasefire and hostage deal.
In Gaza, issues stay that Hamas is returning to areas in northern Gaza the place the group was defeated in November. The Israeli Chief of the Common Workers, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, addressed these and different issues in an announcement on February 13 – one in every of his longest because the battle started. “I’ve simply completed a go to to the border of the Gaza Strip with the forces within the subject. We have now been combating for about 4 months and nonetheless have a protracted technique to go,” he mentioned.
He described a altering battle that started with excessive prices because of the Hamas bloodbath and has now resulted in a “robust and high-quality offensive.” He mentioned no military has needed to take care of the challenges Israel has confronted within the built-up areas of Gaza, a densely populated space with threats above and under floor. To exemplify this problem, the IDF launched footage discovered of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar in a tunnel on October 10. An illustrative diagram of the tunnel reveals a big system below Khan Youni, Sinwar’s hometown and a significant base for 4 Hamas battalions.
HaLevi says the IDF is advancing in Gaza as deliberate and that the military’s efficiency has “exceeded our expectations.” This raises questions on expectations, as a result of whereas the IDF has defeated most Hamas battalions, the group continues to exist in southern Gaza, holding 134 hostages and dictating phrases by way of Doha on the Cairo talks. Israel is now returning to focus on Hamas in northern Gaza, the place its terrorists proceed to emerge. This phenomenon takes place partly as a result of the IDF by no means tried to manage the cities of Gaza for any size of time, preferring to go in, defeat Hamas battalions, destroy no matter terrorist infrastructure could possibly be discovered, after which go away. “Utilizing the intelligence we obtained within the subject and in the course of the investigation of the quite a few terrorists we captured, we returned to different targets, eradicated the enemy and destroyed extra terrorist infrastructure, thus intensifying our efficiency,” Halevi mentioned, characterizing the ways , which seems to assist this section of the battle.
There may be additionally extra to do in Gaza, says the highest basic. This consists of discovering extra members of Hamas’ senior management in addition to liberating the remaining hostages. It additionally means rebuilding the communities on the Gaza border. One in all these communities, Kibbutz Magen, was in a position to repel a Hamas assault on October 7 because of the fast response of the native volunteer safety group, armed with rifles and a safety car. However like most native communities, its residents proceed to reside in motels by the Lifeless Sea. A neighborhood resident of Sderot informed FDD’s Lengthy Warfare Journal that they estimate that half of the city nonetheless has not returned. “Our mission is to allow residents – within the north and south – to return dwelling safely,” Halevi mentioned on February 13. Israel’s Protection Ministry additionally mentioned on February 13 that it had acquired a further 200 safety automobiles for the native safety groups of small communities, akin to these close to the border with Gaza.