The Middle East has always been one of the most volatile regions in the world, with many large-scale wars and conflicts in its history, resulting in countless casualties and property damage.
In recent years, the situation in the Middle East seems to have improved as the influence of Western powers such as the United States in the Middle East has declined and relations between Middle Eastern countries have eased.
However, this apparent calm cannot hide the deep-seated contradictions and crises within the region.
On October 9, 2023, a sudden incident once again detonated the powder keg in the Middle East. On the same day, the Israeli Air Force fired 450 tons of bombs into Gaza, destroying 500 targets, including Hamas intelligence, communications, bank buildings and more.
It was the largest Israeli air strike on Gaza and the worst since the third Middle East war in 1967.
Although reports say the airstrike killed at least 3,000 people, injured more than 10,000 and left hundreds of thousands homeless, in reality there will only be more.
Israel said the airstrike was retaliation for Hamas's rocket attacks on Israeli cities. Hamas, for its part, denied the allegation and said it was a genocide and war crime by Israel against the Palestinian people.
Hamas also declared that a ceasefire was impossible and vowed to continue to resist Israeli aggression.
This sudden incident has aroused strong concern and condemnation from the international community. The UN Security Council urgently convened a meeting calling on both sides to immediately stop the violence and restart peace talks.
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the phone, expressing concern about the escalation of the situation and urging both sides to exercise restraint and seek to de-escalate tensions.
In this crisis, however, the United States has not played its traditional role as mediator and arbiter. Instead, on October 10, the United States announced the deployment of 25 F-35 stealth fighters and F-15 heavy fighters to the Middle East and sent the USS Ford nuclear aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean. The United States said that this is to prevent Iran from expanding the war and launching an offensive against Israel.
The United States also said it would continue to support Israel's right to self-defense and provide it with necessary military assistance.
This move by the United States has aroused dissatisfaction and opposition from other countries in the Middle East. Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other countries have condemned the US approach and warned the United States not to interfere in the internal affairs of the Middle East.
Egypt even announced the launch of the Second Field Army's combat readiness mobilization and said it would strengthen defense and rescue in Gaza.
Background and motives for Israeli air strikes on Gaza
Understanding why Israel launched such a large-scale air strike on Gaza requires an analysis of the contradictions and conflicts between Israel and Palestine from a historical and current perspective.
The contradictions and conflicts between Israel and Palestine date back to the beginning of the last century, when Britain promised to divide the Palestinian land into two states, one Jewish and one Arab.
However, this promise was not fulfilled and led to a constant struggle between Jews and Arabs.
In 1948, Israel declared its independence, followed by the first Middle East war, in which Israel occupied most of Palestine and created a large number of Palestinian refugees.
Since then, Israel and Palestine have experienced many wars and violent conflicts, and there have been fundamental differences and confrontations between the two sides on the issues of territory, security, refugees, Jerusalem and so on.
The Gaza Strip is a Palestinian coastal strip with an area of about 360 square kilometres and a population of about 2 million. The Gaza Strip has historically been occupied by Egypt, Israel, Jordan and other countries, and is currently controlled by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
Hamas is a radical Islamist group that advocates the elimination of Israel by force and the establishment of a Palestinian state based on Sharia law. Hamas and the Palestinian National Authority (Fatah) have serious political differences and conflicts.
Fatah is a moderate nationalist group that advocates peaceful coexistence with Israel through negotiation and diplomacy and the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.
Fatah controls the West Bank and maintains a degree of cooperation with Israel.
Israel's attitude towards Gaza is one of both disgust and fear. The disgust is because Gaza is a Hamas stronghold, which regularly fires rockets or launches suicide attacks into Israel, threatening Israel's security and stability.
The fear is because Gaza is a densely populated, impoverished and backward place, where social unrest and extremism are rife, and it is easy to become the target of interference or exploitation by other countries or forces in the Middle East.
As a result, Israel has adopted a policy of neither letting go nor doing good in Gaza by withdrawing its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005, while imposing a strict blockade and control on Gaza that restricts communication and movement between Gaza and the outside world.
It is against such a complex and sensitive background why Israel launched large-scale air strikes against Gaza on October 9, 2023.
According to Israel, the airstrike was in retaliation for Hamas firing hundreds of rockets at Israeli cities on October 8. The rockets killed at least 10 people, injured hundreds, and caused extensive property damage.
Israel believes that Hamas rocket attacks constitute a grave provocation and violation of Israel's sovereignty and security that must be strongly countered and punished.
He also said that only the complete destruction of Hamas's military capabilities and infrastructure can guarantee Israel's security and stability.
Israel is there to combat Hamas's political status and influence. The airstrike was also an Israeli blow to Hamas's political standing and influence within Palestine and in the Middle East.
In recent years, Hamas has gradually gained more support and trust within Palestine due to the stalemate in Fatah's negotiations with Israel and Palestinian popular dissatisfaction with Fatah's corruption and incompetence.
Hamas has also established good relations with Egypt, Iran, Turkey and other countries, and has received more external assistance and support. All this makes Hamas a political force to be reckoned with, posing a challenge and threat to Fatah and Israel.
Therefore, Israel may hope to weaken Hamas's political position and influence and undermine its ties with other countries or forces through air strikes in Gaza, thereby maintaining its advantages and interests in the Middle East.
In addition, this air strike is also a warning and demonstration by Israel to other countries or forces in the Middle East. In recent years, the situation in the Middle East seems to have improved due to the decline in the influence of Western powers such as the United States in the Middle East and the easing of relations between Middle Eastern countries.
However, this apparent calm cannot hide the deep-seated contradictions and crises within the region.
For example, Iran is still secretly developing nuclear weapons and supports opposition groups such as the Lebanese Allah Party and the Houthis in Yemen; Turkey is also expanding its military involvement and influence in Syria, Libya and other countries; Egypt is also strengthening its strategic cooperation and competition in Africa, the Mediterranean and other regions.
All these have changed the great power game and strategic pattern in the Middle East, posing a potential or actual threat to Israel.
Therefore, Israel may want to show its military strength and determination through air strikes in Gaza, and send a signal to other countries or forces in the Middle East not to try to divide the color column, they are watching Israel in full view.
At the same time, the strategy was learned in the return attack on Gaza. Air strikes against Gaza. Israel sent dozens of warplanes to carry out precision bombing of Hamas military targets in Gaza, claiming to have destroyed Hamas weapons and personnel and caused the deaths of about 1,500 Hamas militants. Israel has also used its Iron Dome system to successfully intercept most rockets from Gaza.
Israel declared a "total closure" of Gaza, cutting off its supply of daily necessities such as electricity, water, fuel and food, plunging it into a humanitarian crisis. Israel has also controlled Gaza's airspace and sea, preventing any movement of people and goods.
Dealing with international pressure. Israel has been strongly condemned and called for a ceasefire from the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and other international communities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not bow to outside pressure but will continue to fight Hamas until it reaches its security goals.
He also thanked allies such as the United States for their support for Israel's right to self-defense and said he would work with countries such as Egypt to create conditions for a ceasefire.
The aim is also clear: to neutralize the Hamas threat. Israel considers Hamas a terrorist organization that poses a serious threat to its security. Through air strikes and the closure of Gaza, Israel seeks to weaken Hamas's military power and political influence, prevent it from continuing its attacks against Israel and force it to release captured Israeli hostages.
Safeguard national sovereignty and dignity. Israel considers the Hamas attack to be a violation of its national sovereignty and dignity and must be responded to resolutely. By demonstrating its formidable military capabilities and determination, Israel seeks to deter Hamas and other hostile forces and assert its position and interests in the Middle East.
Responding to domestic crises. Israel is also facing internal divisions and turmoil in this conflict, including political deadlock, social unrest, and ethnic conflicts. By responding to Hamas, Israel is trying to divert attention and pressure from home, unite the population, stabilize the situation, and win political support for Netanyahu.
In short, the war between Israel and Hamas is a war with goals and consequences, but this war does not really solve the fundamental problem between Israel and Palestine, but brings more suffering and risks to both sides and the region. Lasting peace and coexistence between Israel and Palestine can be achieved only through dialogue and negotiation.
So what kind of countermeasures will the US military have?