Israel wants to delay the escalation with Hamas

Despite the barrage of flaming kites, balloons and inflated condoms floating over from Gaza and setting fires in Israeli fields, and another salvo of rockets fired by Hamas on Tuesday night, Israel is trying to dampen the escalation in Gaza.

The fires have consumed over 25 square kilometres of fields and nature parks, but the Israeli intelligence assessment is they result from Hamas’s lack of options, now that the Palestinian protests on the border have petered out and failed to yield any gains.

In recent days, the IDF has increased its surveillance of the areas near the border fence and, in some cases, Israeli aircraft fired low-calibre munitions near those launching them. But it has refrained from directly firing on them because in many cases children are involved.

An IDF spokesman said on Wednesday that it believes the kite operation, originally a spontaneous move, is now controlled by Hamas.

But he refused to explain Israel’s rules of engagement or say whether there would be direct fire on the kite-launchers, as some cabinet ministers have publicly demanded.

Instead, Israel attacked three Hamas positions in Gaza from the air on Tuesday. It led to a salvo of 45 rockets and mortar rounds fired by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

None of these caused casualties or significant damage, although three rockets — not intercepted by the Iron Dome system — fell inside built-up areas, including near a kindergarten. Hamas and Islamic Jihad jointly claimed they had struck as many as seven military targets. In retaliation, Israel bombed 25 Hamas positions and buildings without causing casualties.

On Wednesday, the statements from Israel’s leaders were relatively muted.

“I’m not going to detail our plans regarding Gaza,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a military ceremony in the morning.

“ The firepower will be increased as needed. We are prepared for any scenario and our enemies should better understand that now.”

Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that “on what happened yesterday I have only three words for Hamas: That’s a mistake.”

Israel’s leaders are fully aware that Hamas has few options for escalating against Israel and that it has never been so isolated on the international stage.

But this is not a moment when Israel wants more international attention on Gaza, and neither does it want anything to a ruin next week’s visit by Prince William.

Some believe a military confrontation with Hamas is just around the corner. For the Israeli government, it would be so much easier if it could be delayed by a week or two.