Israel has begun its invasion of Rafah. It seems that this could be the final battle in Israel's war on Gaza, and its high stakes beg tough questions for the region: continue "resistance" or pursue an alternative path toward a more stable future.
To this end, Israel has put out provocative videos of its assault. In one clip, an Israeli tank crushes a sign reading "I love Gaza". In another, a tank aims its canon at the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. Other footage shows armoured vehicles brandishing massive Israeli flags roaming the crossing, shooting rounds of ammunition.
The videos coming out from the Palestinian side show the human cost of Israel's invasion: families fleeing, cramming all of their possessions into cars, trucks and donkey carts—they neither know where they are going nor what their future holds. These two drastically contrasting scenes convey clear messages to Israel's target audiences.
Three clear messages
First and foremost, Israel wants to send a message to its citizens that it has restored the deterrence it lost on 7 October, when Hamas militants stormed Israeli settlements after breaching the wall that encircles Gaza. The message is: This will never happen again.
But realistically, there will always be the prospect of another "shock", just like 7 October 2023, and before that, 6 October 1973, when the Syrian and Egyptian armies breached Israeli defences in Sinai and the Golan Heights.
Israel's second message is for the world. By aiming its tank at the border crossing with Egypt, Israel is showing that it places its security above all other considerations, whether that be its relations with its Arab neighbours or its standing on the international scene.
