Dubai: Taking advantage of world's preoccupation with the Arab Spring and impending presidential elections in the US and France this year, Israel continued its attack on the Gaza Strip for the fourth consecutive day yesterday killing five more Palestinians.
As many as 23 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the assault, political experts said. However, neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians are seeking an escalation towards a full-scale war. Efforts to calm down the situation in the impoverished and besieged Gaza have already started.
"I believe the escalation in the security situation [in Gaza] is an attempt by [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to deliver a message that despite the truce, Israel still has the upper hand, and it will continue emphasising its power," said Hunaida Ganem, Director of Ramallah-based Palestinian Centre for Israeli Studies.
Assassinations
Israel never stopped its policy of assassinating prominent Palestinians figures who are active against Israel, she said. The current conditions play in its favour.
"The entire world is busy with the Arab Spring, especially Syria," Hunaida said. "This gives Israel more space to move around and commit more crimes."
Yesterday a 65-year-old man and his 30-year-old daughter were killed in the Jabaliya refugee camp. So far the casualties also included 18 members of Palestinian fighter groups.
Scores of Palestinians were also injured in the Israeli air raids, which were touched off by Israel's killing of Zuhair Al Qaisi, General-Secretary of the Popular Resistance Committee, and one of his group member.
Also, during the first day of fighting, which is described as the worst between Israeli and Palestinian groups in several months, two members of the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement were also killed.
According to the Israeli military, the air strikes came in response to continued rocket fire, which has affected the daily lives of nearly one million Israelis living in areas within the range of the Palestinian rockets.
But the Israelis were challenged by Palestinian analysts.
"Israel doesn't need an excuse to attack the Palestinians," said Jehad Harb, a researcher and instructor at the West-Bank University of Beir Zeit. "Israel is always ready with its hit list …. Assassination is not a preventive measure," he told Gulf News.
The Israelis could boost their security measures along the borders and arrest whoever who attempts to infiltrate, he noted. But Israel opted to attack Gaza, because "they can do it without any real international condemnation or action against the Israeli government," Harb said.
Israeli air strikes against the Palestinians come within the context of their preparation for their elections early next year and are an attempt to boost the position of the right-wing in Israel's politics.
While the Americans are tied up with their presidential elections later this year, the European countries are also busy with their economic problems, analysts said.
Likely to subside
The Arabs are focusing on developments in Syria.
Yet, despite the fact that there are no immediate signs of the battle subsiding, both Hamas and Israel seem eager to avoid the kind of all-out war that erupted three years ago, analysts said.
"I believe it will subside after a few days," Harb said.
"There are discussions between the Palestinian leadership and both Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups to calm the situation. It is in the Palestinian interest," he added.
