As for Israel being threatened its IFD, Israeli Defense Force is the most modern and fully equipped military force in the entire Middle East. It has no equal in the area. In its invasion of Gaza 4 years ago with tanks and planes there was no Palestinian force capable of resisting that assault. The Palestinians suffered 1400 civilian deaths in 22 days of Israeli aggression.
Since the 2006 election bringing Hamas rule over Gaza, Israel has imposed an embargo that severely limits and controls all goods and materials entering Gaza. Israel maintains a total sea embargo preventing all shipping entering Gaza waters.
Gaza is essentially an open air prison of some one and half million people. Only the "Rafah" border crossing connecting Gaza with the Egyptian Sinai remains open but it too is severely restricted to people and goods entering and leaving Gaza.
Now with former Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak no longer on the scene and Morsi the freely elected president of the Egyptian people, the 1979 peace agreement between Egypt and Israel could be severely tested with this latest Israeli assault. As Morsi acknowledged in his address to the Egyptian people this morning, he and they side with the plight of the Palestinian's and condemn the Israeli occupation and disproportionate military actions.
It's an open question what formal action Morsi will take beyond recalling his ambassador to Israel. Morsi will surely be under pressure from his newly emboldened people to act in support of the Palestinians.
War of course between Egypt and Israel is highly unlikely but that Rafah border crossing into Gaza could be fully opened to people and goods passing through acting as a sort of pressure relief valve. It could also serve to bring Islamic militants and armaments creating an element that could get Israel to overreact and bring another lethal ground attack into Gaza.
The Israeli's are pressing the envelope with this latest air assault. It assures the tinder box IT created will only become more likely to explode. Yesterday's assault and continuing action could be the spark that ignites it.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).