An Israeli ground invasion of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip is no longer a question of “if” but “when.” Approximately 360,000 Israeli reservists have been mobilized over the last week, with most of the troops stationed close to the Israel-Gaza border fence. Israel’s evacuation order for the northern section of Gaza, where about 1 million Palestinians live, is still in effect. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted limited probing attacks inside Gaza over the weekend, and Israeli airstrikes have continued nonstop.
As bad as the war between Israel and Hamas is, it could get even worse if the fighting expanded. Some U.S. politicians and pundits are perfectly fine with the prospect and even recommended that the Biden administration take the fight directly to Iran, Hamas’ main external backer.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), an arch Iran hawk, has used several television appearances to press for war against Tehran. On Oct. 15, the senator stated the U.S. should “knock Iran out of the oil business” if Hezbollah, its proxy in southern Lebanon, entered the conflict. Marc Thiessen, a Washington Post columnist and a former speechwriter in the George W. Bush administration, strongly urged President Joe Biden to set a red line to Iran.
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