BBC Analysis: What would Israel's complete invasion of Gaza involve?

The Israeli Army has announced that it currently controls about 75% of Gaza, a territory where the majority of the population is fully displaced by 2.1 million people. These areas are mainly north and south of Gaza.

If Israel decides to continue with a full military invasion, it would require sending another tens of thousands of troops to take control of the rest of Gaza, including the coastal generation, the central region and the capital city of Gaza.

One of the most sensitive areas is al-Mawasin, which has the status of a safe <x0) zone defined by Israel, where up to half a million Palestinians reside in overcrowd and difficult conditions. Enhancing military operations in these areas will inevitably root out a huge number of Palestinians from their homes, further boosting the humanitarian crisis.

Similarly, the Israeli forces' possible actions towards Hamas' remaining strongholds and areas where they are believed to be held hostage could significantly increase the possibility of these hostages being killed by their hijackers. During August last year, six hostages were found dead, believed to have been shot shortly before the Israeli army arrived at their location.

On the other hand, the UN has stressed that Gaza has been under some form of Israeli occupation even before recent military operations, following Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7th 2023. The invasion, which began in 1967, has not ended even when Israel withdrew all troops and settlers from territory in 2005 because it maintained control over airspace, coastal waters and the common Gaza border.

In this context, an expansion of operations could have serious consequences not only for Gaza residents but also for the stability of the entire region.