What Israel’s ground offensive can – and cannot – accomplish

As Israel begins its much anticipated ground offensive in Gaza, we must ask, what can such an operation hope to achieve and why launch such a campaign now?

Airstrikes alone cannot destroy a network that extensive. During Israel’s most recent clash with Hamas – Operation Guardian of the Walls, in 2021 – the Israeli military conducted over 1,500 strikes on Gaza, but successfully damaged only 5% of Gaza’s tunnels – at least, according to Sinwar.  

And while the current Israeli air campaign is already more than four times as intense as 2021’s, striking targets so deep underground, and from thousands of feet in the air, is quite technically challenging.