Azerbaijan, Baku, Nov. 20 / Trend A.Tagiyeva /
There is a probability of a ground operation against the Gaza Strip, but Israel will not dare to take this step, the expert of the Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies (TASAM) Hilmi Ozev said.
This hesitancy of Israel is due to the fact that Tel Aviv understands that a ground operation against the Gaza Strip can result with irreversible consequences for Israel. Along with economic losses, Israel may also face a protest of the international community, that will damage the political prestige of the country, Ozev said.
"There is a notion that the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip resumed within the election campaign in Israel. If this notion is true, a ground operation will not be carried out against Gaza," Ozev said.
In his opinion, according to another notion, Israel launched operation after receiving classified information about the active armament of Hamas, and through the operation Tel Aviv is trying to prevent this.
If this notion will be proved right, Israel can launch a ground operation against Gaza in the nearest future, he said.
Israeli air and naval forces has been striking the Gaza Strip for a week. Tens of Palestinians have been killed and the losses threaten to grow significantly with the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. In addition, Israel's plans to enter ground troops to the Palestinian enclave are preparing concern.
According to the Palestinian side, more than 100 Palestinians, most of them civilians, were killed in the Gaza Strip, within the 'Pillar of Cloud' operation, which was launched last Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Israel is carrying out ethnic cleansing in regard to the Palestinians on the pretext of defense.