BBC correspondents reply your questions on the battle between Israel and Hamas

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A Palestinian youth carrying bread walks past buildings destroyed in recent Israeli strikes in Al Remal, in Gaza City, 16 October 2023Picture supply, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

The world continues to be reeling from the unprecedent assault by Hamas gunmen on 7 October, and the following retaliatory strikes by Israel and anticipated land invasion into the Gaza Strip.

We now have obtained lots of of your questions in regards to the battle, its influence and the place it might finish, with many individuals asking if different nations will become involved within the struggle.

Our correspondents, many at the moment within the area, have answered among the most regularly requested questions under.

May this result in World Struggle Three?

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Picture caption,

The US moved the world’s largest plane provider, the Gerald R Ford, nearer to Israel

Craig Johnson in Skelmersdale, UK asks: If Iran will get straight concerned within the battle, would that immediate the US and its allies to straight be a part of the struggle? And will this result in a 3rd world struggle?

Jeremy Bowen, our worldwide editor, reporting from southern Israel, says:

When requested about the opportunity of intervention by Iran or its Lebanese ally Hezbollah, Joe Biden mentioned: “Do not.”

The Individuals simply deployed two plane provider battle teams to the japanese Mediterranean to ship a really agency message to Iran to remain out.

They’re saying that if anybody intervenes, they’ll have American army would possibly to reckon with, not simply Israel’s.

One of many main fault strains within the Center East runs between the US and its allies, and the Iranians and theirs.

Either side are conscious of the dangers. If it went from a chilly to a sizzling struggle it might ignite a Center East conflagration of world significance.

What’s Israel’s goal?

Luciano Sisi within the Scottish Borders asks: What’s Israel’s general goal with the anticipated floor struggle?

Lyse Doucet, our chief worldwide correspondent, in southern Israel says:

In previous wars, Israel vowed to “hit Hamas exhausting”, to destroy its capability to fireplace rockets into Israel – together with its huge internet of subterranean tunnels.

This time is completely different. Israel is vowing “to destroy Hamas” – an organisation it says ought to be obliterated, just like the Islamic State group.

Israel has the army would possibly to smash Hamas’s infrastructure, crush its tunnels, and cripple its command and management networks.

But it surely’s not clear how a lot Israel is aware of about what awaits in Gaza. Hamas’s army prowess, together with an astonishingly granular understanding of Israeli safety that enabled it to outsmart its formidable defences, has shocked Israelis.

Hamas is prone to possess the identical sophistication when it confronts what it is aware of shall be a ferocious Israeli response.

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And in contrast to the Islamic State group, Hamas can be a political and social organisation embedded in Palestinian society.

A army onslaught can destroy its metallic and concrete however not the mettle of the folks whose resolve to die for his or her trigger will solely harden.

What was Hamas’s objective with their assault?

Andrew Parker within the UK asks: What was the objective of the preliminary Hamas assault?

Frank Gardner, our safety correspondent, tells us:

The explanation given on the time by Hamas’s spokesman Mohammed Al-Deif was that “sufficient is sufficient”.

The assault, he mentioned, was in response to what Hamas referred to as fixed provocations and humiliations suffered by Palestinians by the hands of Israelis in each Gaza and the West Financial institution.

Analysts imagine there could have been different, undeclared causes.

Earlier than the assault, Israel and Saudi Arabia had been effectively on the best way to normalising ties.

This was opposed by each Hamas and its backer, Iran. The Saudis have now suspended these talks.

However there may have been extra to it than that.

Hamas’s management may have seen the sharp divisions in Israeli society brought on by judicial reforms launched by the right-wing authorities of Benjamin Netanyahu.

They aimed to deal Israel a painful blow – and in that they succeeded.

Extra on Israel Gaza struggle

Why is Egypt protecting the crossing closed?

Diana within the UK, who asks: Muslims communicate of the household and brotherhood of Islam. How can Muslims in Egypt justify protecting their border with Gaza closed?

Jeremy Bowen, our worldwide editor, reporting from southern Israel says:

Islam is a religion but it surely would not essentially transcend the politics of nationwide safety.

I am sure hundreds of thousands of Egyptian Muslims need to alleviate the struggling of civilians in Gaza.

However the Egyptian authorities, even at quiet instances, doesn’t enable routine entry from Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Egypt has been the junior companion in earlier variations of Israel’s siege of Gaza ever since Hamas took over there in 2007.

Hamas has its roots within the Muslim Brotherhood, an organisation based in Egypt a century in the past. The Brotherhood needs to reshape states and society according to Islamic educating and perception.

The Egyptian army opposes that need. It overthrew an elected Muslim president in 2013.

Egypt’s present regime has relations with Hamas, and has prior to now been the hyperlink between Hamas and Israel. But it surely doesn’t need an inflow of Palestinian refugees.

The camps in Gaza nonetheless exist 75 years after they had been established to deal with refugees – compelled out by newly unbiased Israel – who’ve by no means been allowed residence.

Has Hamas dedicated a struggle crime?

Simon within the UK asks: The world issued a global arrest warrant in opposition to Putin. Why has there not been the identical response in opposition to Hamas management? Was this not a struggle crime on an enormous scale?

Paul Adams, our world affairs correspondent solutions:

Israel didn’t think about itself at struggle with Hamas earlier than 7 October, regardless of earlier rounds of battle stretching again a few years.

For Israel, this was an act of terrorism, not struggle.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s authorities is pursuing justice in its personal approach and has already killed a minimum of two Hamas commanders it regards as answerable for the massacres.

It should likely try to kill many extra.

Questions could come up in regards to the organisation’s political management – which lives in Qatar and Lebanon – who, some say, had been unaware of the army wing’s plans to assault inside Israel.

Media caption,

Watch: One week on – survivor Shye Weinstein remembers fleeing the Supernova pageant

Why is the UN not intervening on air strikes?

Sadul Hoque from London asks: If everybody has agreed that Israel has been killing civilians and can kill much more in these new strikes, why are the UN and different nations not intervening?

James Landale, our diplomatic correspondent provides this reply:

The primary cause why many nations will not be urging Israel to cease its airstrikes is as a result of they settle for the nation has been attacked by Hamas and has a proper to defend itself.

The place they’re urging restraint is about how Israel defends itself.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak mentioned this morning: “I’ve raised with the Israeli prime minister the necessity to minimise the influence on civilians as finest we are able to.”

The United Nations too has urged Israel to keep away from civilian casualties.

The UN Secretary Normal Antonio Guterres mentioned a number of days in the past: “Worldwide humanitarian regulation and human rights regulation have to be revered and upheld; civilians have to be protected and in addition by no means used as shields.”

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Israel insists its warplanes and artillery are putting Hamas targets in Gaza. However many civilians are certainly being killed and injured in these strikes.

Palestinians say that’s as a result of the Israeli strikes are extreme and indiscriminate. Israel says it’s as a result of Hamas makes use of civilians as human shields.

How did Israel not find out about Hamas’s assault?

An nameless reader asks: How is it potential that the Israeli army have sufficient intelligence and surveillance to know precisely the place Hamas is stationed in Gaza, but it surely did not know Hamas had been going to assault Israel or see any warning indicators of the assault?

Yolande Knell, our Center East correspondent, in Jerusalem, says:

Prior to now, Israel’s army has opened up its management centre for surveillance of Gaza to journalists, and it is clear that it has wonderful real-time details about actions on the bottom from drones and different cameras.

It additionally has an unlimited community of informants.

We noticed in Might’s combating with Islamic Jihad simply how correct Israel’s data on the whereabouts of main militants may very well be.

In briefings, Israeli army officers settle for there have been main intelligence and safety failings in relation to the unprecedented, lethal assault by Hamas.

Nevertheless, we are able to depend on the truth that it has an correct, lengthy record of Hamas targets that it’s going to go after as quickly because it will get boots on the bottom.

How does Hezbollah examine to Hamas?

Additional north from the Gaza Strip, tensions are rising between Lebanon and Israel. One reader needs to know: If Lebanon will get concerned, how large a drive is Hezbollah in comparison with Hamas?

Hugo Bachega, reporting from southern Lebanon, says:

Hezbollah – a Lebanese army, political, and social motion – has lengthy been seen by Israel as a extra formidable drive than Hamas.

The closely armed Iranian-backed group has an estimated 130,000 rockets and missiles, in line with the Heart for Strategic and Worldwide Research.

Most of this arsenal is made up of small, man-portable and unguided surface-to-surface artillery rockets.

But it surely additionally consists of anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles, in addition to guided missiles able to putting deep inside Israel.

That is rather more subtle than what Hamas has at its disposal.

Hezbollah’s chief has claimed to have 100,000 fighters, though unbiased estimates range between 20,000 and 50,000. Many are effectively skilled and battle hardened, and have fought within the Syrian civil struggle.

Hamas, by comparability, has an estimated 30,000 fighters, in line with Israel.

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