Fresh violence in Gaza dims hopes for truce

Dubai: In the largest barrage by Hamas on Israel in nearly six months, fighters of the Islamic movement launched nearly 60 projectiles on Israel by Wednesday noon.

Hamas said the fire, which caused only material damage, was "to avenge the killing" of three of Hamas members by the Israeli army late on Tuesday. The Israeli army, however, said it had fired at three fighters planting explosives near the border fence.

Hamas also said two members of its armed wing died in a "jihadi mission" overnight, with Israeli media saying they were killed when a bomb they were making near the southern city of Khan Younus exploded.

The escalation has weakened the possibilities of reaching a new truce between Hamas and Israel. The last truce, which lasted for six months and considered the longest in nearly 8 years, has expired last Friday. "We are not surprised," Palestinian Member of Parliament Mustafa Al Barghouti said. "It was a planned Israeli escalation".

Al Barghouti doesn't rule out the possibility of a major Israeli offensive on Gaza. "They [Israelis] always take advantage of the holidays and the peoples' engagement with them."

Yet, according to Barghouti and other Palestinian analysts, the only determined factor for Israel before launching a major offensive on improvised and besieged Gaza strip would be their assurances that it won't be a highly cost operation from all aspects.

Israeli action against Gaza and Hamas is also related to next February elections. While Israel seeks to take a tough line against the Islamic group, it fears any massive military action wouldn't be decisive for its favour, and the outcome will affect the result of the elections.

"Elections in Israel constitute the main parameter for Israeli moves," former Palestinian Minister Gassan Al Khateeb, said.

"Israel's behaviour is governed by internal factors."

Meanwhile, Israeli analysts are discussing several scenarios for dealing with Hamas, Palestinian analysts said. They include intensive air raids with no land operations, assassinations, and "even tunnels, like the ones Hamas digged, to reach their targets", Al Khateeb noted.