Israel controls more of Gaza than at any point during the war, part of a plan that officials increasingly describe as leading to a full military occupation.
Israel believes this new strategy would improve its chances of definitively uprooting Iranian-backed Hamas. But taking control of the Palestinian enclave for the first time in two decades would be a high-stakes gamble — it would risk increasing the death toll in Gaza, siphoning more reserve soldiers away from an economy stifled by war, and further isolating Israel.
It also raises the odds of protracting a war that has already lasted 18 months and shows no sign of ending soon.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.