In historical terms, it is impossible to separate Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza from the long narrative of conflict and mutual grievance in the region. In geographic terms, the war over a tiny plot of land cannot be detached from the wider involvement and strategic interests of other countries: Syria, Egypt, the US, Iran. All of which makes it difficult to judge where – even if a unilateral Israeli ceasefire holds – the war really begins and ends. That fact alone explains why the operation represents a defeat for Israel, as was always likely to be the outcome.
