Gaza's war against Israel was strategic mistake

 NPR:

Israel's military says it has taken control of almost half of Gaza City as it prepares for a large-scale ground offensive to fully occupy its densely populated urban center.

Israeli military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said in a press briefing the military now has "operational control" of 40% of Gaza City and will continue to expand and intensify the offensive in the coming days. The military called around 60,000 reservists back to war to support the expansive operation, which Israel says is aimed at returning hostages and dismantling Hamas rule.

Last week, the military declared all of Gaza City a "dangerous combat zone" and is striking at high-rise buildings in the city's central and western neighborhoods. These areas, including its western shoreline, have been crowded for months with displaced people and tents.

Already, entire neighborhoods on the outskirts of Gaza City have been leveled by Israeli strikes and thousands of Palestinian families displaced. In the past three weeks, Gaza's civil defense, or first responders, say Israel has destroyed some 1,500 homes in the Zaytoun and Sabra neighborhoods of eastern Gaza City. That destruction can be seen in satellite images, as well.

The assault on Gaza City — once the territory's beating heart and its commercial and cultural hub — comes nearly two years into Israel's war in Gaza that's killed more than 64,200 people, a third of them children, according to Gaza's health ministry. The war began in October 2023 with a Hamas-led attack on Israel that authorities there say killed nearly 1,200 people and took hostages.
...

Following President Trump's call for Hamas to release Israeli hostages, the group said it was ready for a deal to release them in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. But the Israeli government has rejected the offer, dismissing it as "spin."

Netanyahu and his far-right coalition are instead determined to expand the war. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich laid out that vision for Gaza, saying areas of the enclave must be annexed by Israel and the gates of Gaza opened for Palestinians to leave. He also said Israel should cut water and food off to those who remain in Gaza City.
...

It is always a mistake to start a war with a country that has a superior military.  It is right up there with tugging on Superman's cape.  Israel is one of the strongest countries in the Middle East, while Gaza is made up of Islamic religious bigots who hate Israel for rejecting Islam.  They are beginning to find out that God is not on their side in this battle.