The Zionist media has been reporting about the onset of the third phase of the war against Gaza through the reduction of attacks and the withdrawal of some forces from the Strip. Are the Zionists really retreating?
Phase one: Unprecedented attacks
October 7 puzzled the Zionists so much that it took three days to decide to launch an unprecedented attack aimed at declaring the release of Israeli captives and then destroying the Hamas structure in the Gaza Strip.
An attack, accompanied by American forces and their military think tank. The attack, which was focused on airstrikes until the 20th day, was called Phase One. In the first two weeks, Zionists made remarks about a short-term war, the re-occupation of northern Gaza, and the forced resistance to the release of captives.
Phase two: Ground attacks
On the 22nd day, the Zionist army entered the second phase, the beginning of ground attacks and the entry into the Gaza Strip. The airstrikes in the first weeks were so unprecedented that by the 30th day, about 10,000 Palestinians were martyred and at least half of Gaza was damaged while as a result of the crimes of the Zionists in the 2014 war, 2,500 people were martyred in 51 days.
Although unprecedented airstrikes were thought to ease ground advance in the first phase, they were much slower and more costly than expected for the Zionist army, which was followed by a wave of criticism throughout the Zionist regime, and finally, Netanyahu ceased to hold a ceasefire against the exchange of prisoners on November 24 (the 49th day of the war) to escape this issue. The ceasefire eventually lasted seven days.
After the ceasefire ended and the battle resumed, the Israeli regime’s army, which had not achieved any significant field, military, or political successes in the northern Gaza Strip, shifted its focus to the south, particularly Khan Younis. A recent survey conducted by Israel’s Channel 11 last week revealed that 64 percent of Israelis were dissatisfied with the performance of their prime minister, while only 32 percent expressed satisfaction.
The set of circumstances eventually led to the fact that the Zionist regime’s war minister told The Wall Street Journal on the ninth day of the war that Israel had begun the transition from the stage of intense fighting in Gaza to the stage of special operations.
What is “phase three”?
The third phase, implicitly introduced in the Zionist media a week prior, involved a minor troop withdrawal and a shift towards targeted attacks and reduced airstrikes. However, it is important to note that this phase marks the conclusion of the military strategy and field scenario, during which Tel Aviv aims for the dignified withdrawal of Zionist forces and the establishment of a new security zone. Reports and images depict a significant retreat north of the Gaza Strip.
The Washington Post reported that Israel withdrew thousands of troops from the northern Gaza Strip in a significant retreat, according to a senior US official. Israel has notified Washington of its intention to decrease troop numbers and scale back air strikes.
The great retreat is a more appropriate term for the third phase, as also indicated by the American newspaper. Despite unprecedented American and Biden aid, totaling $14 billion, the Zionists have managed to prolong the war for approximately 100 days. However, they are now compelled to diminish the intensity of the conflict due to their failure to achieve objectives such as the destruction of Hamas and the release of the captives.
General Amos Yadlin former director of the Institute for National Security Studies of the Zionist regime believes that in recent days, the Israeli military has started releasing reserve forces on a large scale and returning to combat training as part of the preparations for the third phase of the war in Gaza. Economically, the increased availability of reserve forces would significantly reduce the heavy cost of war and allow the economy and vital sectors such as high-tech and trade to resume activity and boost the economy. The third phase of the war is beneficial for Israel militarily, politically, and economically. The ongoing military effort in the Gaza Strip is on the verge of weakening, and in order to prevent damage and reduce casualties, a shift to an active War of attrition against Hamas is necessary to give Israel breathing room.
Is the Gaza war over?
It is important to note that the start of the third phase doesn’t signal the conclusion of the Gaza war and Operation Al-Aqsa Storm. The Zionists aim to accomplish what they haven’t achieved on the battlefield and escalate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, encompassing health and food shortages, to pressure the Resistance into meeting their demands.
And it should be noted that now the key issue is the future of Gaza. What the Zionists term as the post-war period.
Yadlin maintains that moving to the next phase of the battle may allow Israel to contribute to shaping the reality of the future in Gaza. Hamas should know that the Arab world and the West are building an alternative to Gaza’s sovereignty and that Hamas is certainly not part of that sovereignty.
Seemingly the Zionists have no intention of ending the crime in Gaza at the moment and are trying to end the post-war period in their favor by intensifying regional tensions along with maintaining social pressure and humanitarian crisis in the enclave, which is more difficult than the previous two in the third phase of the war.
