As the Israel Defence Force prepares for a ground offensive in Gaza, officials have confirmed their eventual plans for the territory following the war with Hamas.
What happened: Israel’s defence minister said the country would cut ties with the Gaza Strip when the war ends.
- Since withdrawing from the territory in 2005, Israel continued providing some electricity to the strip and allowed some Gazans to cross into Israel to work — “that’s over,” one senior official said.
Catch-up: Israeli airstrikes have continued in Gaza in the two weeks since Hamas militants attacked the country. At least 1,400 Israelis and 4,100 Palestinians have been reportedly killed, with many more people wounded on both sides.
- Yesterday, President Joe Biden said the first 20 trucks of aid would cross from Egypt to Gaza in the coming days.
- The enclave used to receive 450 trucks worth of aid each day before the war.
Zoom out: The international community is also pressing to stop the war from expanding into a broader fight with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Israel’s northern border. Egypt will host a summit to discuss the war today, though Western leaders are split on whether they will show up.
- For the U.S., an escalation of the conflict risks rupturing relations with allies in the region, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Bottom line: As the war between Israel and Hamas becomes more intense, the risk of spillover into other parts of the Middle East will grow.