Israel's strategic challenge: Will ground invasion succeed against Hamas?

The Israeli bombardment of Gaza is intensifying and the ground war has begun. The stated aim by Israel is to destroy Hamas, in response to the deadly October 7 attacks on Israeli communities. 

This is not the first time that Israel has fought a bloody war in Gaza in an attempt to quash the militant group. We take a closer look at what happened in those previous battles – in 2006, 2008-2009 and 2014 – and at whether any lessons can be learned.

Read more A look back at almost 20 years of conflict between Israel and Hamas

Militarily, one thing is clear: there is a true asymmetry between the power of the Israeli army and Hamas. The IDF is one of the most powerful militaries in the world, but that doesn't mean this will be a straightforward campaign.

For more analysis, we speak to Bilal Saab, Director of the Defence and Security Programme at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

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