It would seem that we are fast approaching the moment of truth in the Middle East. Yeshiva World News reports that IDF Chief of Staff Gen. Eyal Zamir said last week that 60,000 reservists have been called up and that the military is advancing its long-anticipated push to capture Gaza City and that the IDF already has forces operating on the outskirts of the city. He said additional forces will join them later describing the operation as central to Israel’s missions of defeating Hamas and freeing hostages and that “we will not rest and will not stop until we complete them.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu was quoted as saying, “we’re at the decisive stage. I have approved the plans that the IDF presented to me for taking control of Gaza City and defeating Hamas. These two things, the defeat of Hamas and the release of all of our hostages, go hand in hand.”
And of course, an enormously important part of the mix is the apparent full support of President Trump which sends a powerful message to Israel’s enemies. In recent weeks he seems never to miss an opportunity to signal that the U.S. has Israel’s back on the issue.
As he wrote as recently as last week on Truth Social, he is all in on the Israeli plans. He said the return of the remaining Israeli hostages will only be achieved by “confronting and destroying Hamas.” We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed. The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success. Play to WIN or don’t play at all.”
It also seems that Israel is now determined to deal with the Yemeni-based Houthis problem once and for all. The Jerusalem Post is reporting that the Israeli air force on Sunday struck the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, as a response to last Friday’s ballistic missile strike by the Houthis on Israel.
The strikes were reportedly spread over a five-and-a-half-hour period and targeted an area near Yemen’s presidential complex. According to the IDF, the presidential palace in the Sanaa area is located within a military site from which Houthi forces operate. Also hit were, key power plants and sites where the Houthis are believed to keep ballistic missiles.
The extent of the attacks suggests that the days of tentative, measured tit for tat reactions to Houthi depredations are over and Israel has resolved to take care of business across the board whatever toll it takes on Yemen. And it is certain to cause an international furor. Still, given the unabashed support of President Trump, it would seem that now is a most opportune time to attempt it.
