The new rules of the asymmetric conflict between IDF and

The new rules of the asymmetric conflict between IDF and Hamas

On the night of October 7th to 8th, rockets fired from Gaza City were intercepted by the Israeli Iron Dome. EYAD BABA/AFP

DECRYPTION – With its unprecedented offensive on Saturday, the terror group that controls Gaza took a step forward in its conflict with the Jewish state.

The balance of power seemed unequal. This is undoubtedly one of the reasons why Israel underestimated its opponent, convinced that Hamas would be satisfied with the existing status quo. With its unprecedented offensive on Saturday, the terror group that controls Gaza took a step forward in its conflict with the Jewish state. “The conflict is turning into a symmetrical conflict in certain aspects,” notes Pierre Razoux, academic director of the Mediterranean Foundation for Strategic Studies and a Middle East specialist. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “spoke of war,” the researcher emphasizes, and “gave Hamas a quasi-state status that is recognized as a sovereign entity in Gaza.” Hamas, in turn, also presented its deployment as a military action. The vocabulary shows an inflection.

The state of war “has a special meaning in terms of international law, Israeli law and the understanding of the conflict,” explained researcher Kobi…

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