View: All eyes on Gaza (and Tehran)
Israel has a major decision on its hands. It seems it will have to launch large-scale ground operations in Gaza. Major states cannot suffer a terrorist attack of this magnitude without significant consequences for the perpetrator.
Given this dynamic, the practical question facing Tel Aviv is: to what extent is it prepared to go to destroy Hamas as a military force? And what does that entail? For instance, is it prepared to occupy Gaza, as it used to do before 2005? The unilateral withdrawal under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is now seen in many quarters as a mistake. There's no doubt that Israel will prevail militarily. But it may then find itself in the kind of quagmire that the US found itself in Afghanistan.
Then there's the matter of Iran-backed Hezbollah.
This outfit, too, does not pose an existential threat to Israel. But the wild card here is the nature of Iranian involvement. Direct confrontation between Israel and Iran, possibly involving the US on the side of the former, would mean major escalation in the conflict, with all its attendant risks of rising energy prices and resultant impact on the economy.
What role could India play in this volatile, evolving scenario? As Hamas' attacks unfolded on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unequivocally condemned them, describing Israel as the victim of a terrorist attack.
Modi has subsequently been briefed by Benjamin Netanyahu. The moral clarity of India's stance is in sharp contrast to China, which has issued a far more equivocal statement expressing concern and calling for 'end to hostilities'. India could weigh in on the need for Israel to calibrate its response with regard to ground military operations.
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