Israel has mobilised a force of 300,000 military reservists near the Gaza border in anticipation of a possible land invasion.
The longer the wait, the bigger the build-up, the more extensive the operation. Everything points to a no-holds-barredThey last went in seven years ago and, on that occasion, avoided the urban areas. This time that won't be possible given Benjamin Netanyahu'sBut the Israel Defence Forces will have trouble matching their actions with the prime minister's words.
Hamas have dug a labyrinth of tunnels to enable them to pop up all over the place, making the Israeli flanks and rear extremely vulnerable all the time.As former US secretary of state Colin Powell famously warned president Bush Snr, during the first Gulf War - "You break it, you own it." The added complication that Israel faces this time is, of course, the hostages in Gaza. The build-up gives intelligence and special forces units the chance to investigate and put together some kind of rescue plan.
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