Israel has routed its enemies across the region but has yet to return all its hostages from the Gaza Strip. Hamas appears to have been decimated militarily but has kept up insurgent attacks. Gaza is in ruins and experts say it is sliding into famine, and long-running ceasefire talks seem to have broken down.
So where do we go from here?
Both Israel and Hamas have embraced visions for how the war should end, but mediators from two American administrations, Egypt and Qatar have yet to bridge the gaps. There are at least two other scenarios in which the war goes on indefinitely, at an unimaginable cost to Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians, the Israeli hostages and their families.
Here’s a closer look.
Full reoccupation of Gaza
For days now, Israeli media have reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on the verge of ordering the full reoccupation of Gaza for the first time since Israel withdrew soldiers and settlers two decades ago. He is expected to meet with his security Cabinet late Thursday, possibly to make a decision.
That would mean sending ground troops into the few areas of Gaza that haven’t been totally destroyed, the roughly 25% of the territory where much of its 2 million people have sought refuge, including the sprawling coastal displacement camps of Muwasi.