BEIRUT, October 13. /TASS/. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to launch a limited ground operation in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible despite the US administration's hesitation about its consequences, Marwan Abu Al, believed to be an expert on the Arab-Israeli conflict, told TASS.

"An invasion of Gaza would lead to a relatively long war and could inflict serious casualties on the Israeli army," Abu Al, a member of the politburo of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said. "But Netanyahu, who heads the emergency cabinet, is ready to make sacrifices to save his political image, which took a hit after Palestinian resistance units infiltrated Jewish settlements."

According to Abu Al, the Israeli prime minister is "risking a lot for the sake of giving the illusion of victory over Hamas, because if the operation fails, he will be responsible for the defeat." "Apparently, he [Netanyahu] expects that the Shiite armed militia Hezbollah will not enter the conflict and will respect the rules of the game in southern Lebanon, limiting its strikes in solidarity with the Palestinians to the border area or the occupied areas of Shebaa and Kfarchouba," he pointed out.

He said such a calculation is based on the fact that Tehran, which sponsors Hezbollah, is extremely interested in obtaining unfrozen holdings abroad. However, the expert emphasized that "pro-Iranian forces have already outlined their position, and they would regard Israel invading Gaza as crossing a red line."

As Abu Al noted, the danger posed to the Palestinians by the Netanyahu cabinet's plans to prolong the conflict is that it will result in the forced displacement of many people to the south of the enclave, toward the Egyptian border and Sinai. "There is no doubt that an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe will follow," he said.