Gaza 'war' likely to escalate bloodshed

ISRAEL’S preparations yesterday for a massive military offensive against militants in the Gaza Strip threatened to escalate seriously the bloody two-year conflict with the Palestinians.
As Israeli military reservists were called up and Gazans prepared for the assault, there were fears that any incursion on the ground could turn months of sporadic fighting into a set-piece battle.

Unlike the West Bank, where the Israeli Defence Forces have concentrated their operations against suspected militants for six months, the Gaza Strip has been left largely intact.

The reason is obvious to both sides. Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on earth and most of the population of more than one million is made up of Palestinian refugees living in crowded shanty towns.

The leadership of Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement responsible for most of the recent suicide bomb attacks in Israel, is concentrated in Gaza City and the Jabalia refugee camp, where they are protected by thousands of fighters.

Unlike the West Bank, where Israeli forces earlier this year quickly overcame Palestinian resistance in “Operation Defensive Shield”, Gaza would be almost impossible to take and hold without using thousands of troops and risking many lives.