You have probably seen film–either documentary or fiction–of prison takeovers by the inmates. That, on a grand scale, is what is happening in Gaza. The warden and the guards have been taken hostage, but the authorities are in control of the outside of the prison.
Israel’s objectives at this point are as follows, in no particular order:
- Regime change in Gaza;
- The safe return of the hostages;
- Minimize casualties; and
- Avoid the fallout from massive numbers of civilian deaths in Gaza.
The current aerial campaign, by itself, only accomplishes #3. A land invasion only accomplishes #1. Is there a better alternative?
Yes–do what the authorities do in the prison films. The Israelis, with some help from the Egyptians, have the ability to strictly enforce the new blockade of Gaza. When conditions there get desperate enough, the population will take care of the situation.