Israel's prime minister has ordered the offensive to capture Gaza City—a controversial decision. Not only are the military leadership and government at odds, but a rift is also running through society. Fears of a horror scenario are preoccupying people.

Israel launched a new ground offensive to capture Gaza City overnight into Tuesday, according to Israeli military leadership and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the statement, the IDF has deployed two divisions with tens of thousands of soldiers to capture the capital of the Gaza Strip and thus launch a"new phase" in the fight against the terrorist organization Hamas.

According to army leadership, the 162nd and 98th Divisions are expanding their operations in Gaza City, and a third division, the 36th, is expected to join the fighting in the coming days. Another division is also participating in defensive operations in the buffer zone in northern Gaza. In recent weeks, Israel has mobilized another 60,000 reservists for the new offensive in Gaza.

During the night, the Israeli Air Force also expanded its airstrikes on targets in Gaza City. In total, Israel attacked over 850 targets and hundreds of Hamas fighters in Gaza City last week in preparation for the ground offensive that has now begun, according to an IDF spokesperson. The operation is designed to achieve the overarching war aims of freeing Israeli hostages from terrorists and defeating Hamas.

According to Israeli military estimates, up to 3,000 Hamas fighters are still hiding in Gaza City. The terrorist organization maintains an extensive underground tunnel network beneath the city.

However, Israeli operations are hampered by the fact that many Palestinian civilians remain in the city. According to IDF estimates, approximately 40 percent of Gaza City's residents have now left for safety. However, approximately 600,000 Palestinian civilians are believed to still be there. The radical Islamist Hamas had attempted in recent weeks to prevent Gaza City residents from leaving the contested territory.

Israel has faced considerable international criticism for its ongoing attacks on Gaza, but the renewed offensive is also highly controversial internally. The American government has also expressed skepticism about the ongoing fighting and the prospects for a ceasefire. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a visit to the region that there is"a very small window of opportunity in which a deal can take place. It's a pivotal moment—an important moment." Rubio said a "negotiated end" to the conflict is still the best alternative.

Plea for a ceasefire from the army

The Israeli military leadership has also been arguing for weeks that efforts to achieve a ceasefire should be intensified rather than launching a new offensive. A heated confrontation reportedly broke out on Sunday between Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and members of the Netanyahu government.

Zamir accused the political leadership and Mossad chief David Barnea of not making enough efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement."Accept the deal!" Zamir is said to have shouted, according to Israeli media reports. Netanyahu, in turn, accused the IDF chief of torpedoing the political leadership with targeted leaks."This cannot continue," Netanyahu is said to have said, according to a report by Channel 12 TV."We made the decision, and you must implement it." Netanyahu reminded Zamir of the primacy of politics in Israeli democracy."This is not an army that maintains a country, but a country that has an army," the prime minister is said to have said.

The IDF leadership has long pointed out that Israel's citizen army, composed primarily of reservists, is exhausted after almost two years of war. There are also doubts as to whether the policy actually has a realistic strategic goal for eliminating Hamas and pacifying Gaza. Critics say Israel is simply exhausting itself with ever new military operations without a clear idea of how to end the situation.

Members of the Netanyahu government, however, point out that Hamas will only be willing to make concessions and agree to a ceasefire on terms acceptable to Israel if military pressure on the terrorist organization remains high. Despite the differences with the Netanyahu government, Zamir was apparently personally in Gaza on Tuesday to lead the offensive—a first for an Israeli Chief of Staff.

Given the deadlock in Gaza, one thing is shaping Israeli society these days: Deep bewilderment. Where are the military strikes and the war in Gaza leading?

Conservatives and right-wingers naturally express support for the government's actions. They are convinced that Israel is in an acute struggle for survival, that this is the time to finally dismantle terrorist networks and create a new Middle East.

Fear of the horror scenario of a fight without end

Behind closed doors, however, even government officials and military strategists express doubts as to whether terrorism can truly be ended once and for all. What's stopping extremists from building new structures in Lebanon, Yemen, or wherever? The hatred of Israel is still there. Perhaps stronger than ever. There's concern that it could become a never-ending battle. Moreover, many are missing a government plan for the day afterward. Doesn't one exist? Or what does it look like? The government isn't commenting on this.

And then there is the liberal center, which constitutes the majority of the population in Tel Aviv. Every Friday evening, thousands of people meet at Hostage Square in the city center. Many young people, IT specialists, the urban elite. They feel almost invisible to the West. They repeatedly emphasize that it is not the Israelis and the Jews who approve of what is happening in Gaza. The reality of Israeli society is much more complex than it appears in the West.

However, the liberal center doesn't mean that people here are more lenient toward terrorism. Many simply say: First free the hostages, then eliminate Hamas. The liberal center is also critical to the point of rejection regarding a potential Palestinian state and perceives Western statements as one-sidedly condemnatory. Their main concern, however, is what Israel might look like in the future. As a country – almost – without friends? With high walls, more religious, more extreme. A militaristic, orthodox future? Israel's liberal center dreads this scenario.