Israel struck targets in the Gaza Strip this morning after Hamas carried out an attack on IDF forces that included RPG and sniper fire, and an attempted raid on an IDF outpost—violating the ceasefire.
So, the war is back on? Not necessarily. Rather, this is the first real test since the ceasefire went into effect.
The day after the November 2024 ceasefire began in Lebanon, Hezbollah fired two mortars at Mount Dov in Israel’s north. How did the IDF respond? By striking 40 targets throughout Lebanon. Since then, Hezbollah has not dared to fire at the Jewish state.
What Israel did in Lebanon was define the new rules of the game to its advantage. The question now for Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is whether it views this as an opportunity to do the same in Gaza—especially now that it can operate without having to worry about harming living hostages.