The winds of war buffeting the Gaza Strip increased on the morning of Feb. 4 when Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff, made an appearance at the weekly Cabinet meeting. Eizenkot warned that Gaza is on the verge of collapse and susceptible to a severe humanitarian crisis. Any further deterioration would likely lead to a military confrontation between Israel and Hamas this year, although neither side is interested in war. Eizenkot added that significant steps by Israel are required to avert Gaza's collapse.
The next day, Israeli Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz accused Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and his people of “running around the world to raise money for Hamas.” Katz has floated the idea of creating an import-export terminal and entry-exit point off Gaza to lessen dependence on Israel. In recent years, he has preached in favor of Israel’s total separation from Gaza and imposing responsibility for it on Hamas, Egypt and the rest of the world. Liberman’s policy of keeping Gaza afloat, Katz charges, perpetuates Hamas' rule over the territory and dependence on Israel. As is often the case in the Middle East, these statements conceal drama under the surface.