Benjamin Netanyahu’s warning that the war with Hamas is at the “beginning of the road” will have “attracted more concern internationally” amid fears about the declining humanitarian situation, Sky’s military analyst Sean Bell has said.

He said there is also unlikely to be a reduction in Israel’s air campaign in Gaza despite the ground operation.

Western nations would have been hoping for Israel’s prime minister to “temper” operations as the humanitarian crisis grows, Bell added.

In a speech on Saturday, Mr Netanyahu described having troops on the ground as “only the beginning” and said Israel’s fight inside Gaza will be “long and difficult”.

Bell said: “Following growing casualties – on both sides – the international community was hoping that any Israeli military response would be measured and proportionate.

“However, if you listen to Mr Netanyahu, it is clear this is the end of the beginning rather than the beginning of the end.

“There are groups indicating the number of people killed during the bombing campaign will be dwarfed by the humanitarian casualties in Gaza, and this will have attracted more concern internationally.”

Experts have said Israel is likely to come under more pressure from abroad as concern for the welfare of civilians increases, but Bell does not expect to see a reduction in the Israeli operations from the air.

The land campaign by the Israel Defence Forces will provoke significant Hamas movement which will provide an increase in targets of opportunity, said Bell.

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“When the Israeli military on the ground gets caught out or when there is a difficult engagement with Hamas, air support is likely to be increasingly called upon,” he added.

Bell said the Israeli military will take advantage of the rural areas around Gaza City to advance its ground operation, but “once the city is isolated, it gets more difficult” to fight Hamas due to the complexities of the built-up area.

“It will be an incredibly bloody and difficult campaign,” he said.

“It looks increasingly unlikely that there is a military solution to this conflict and, in the meantime, the humanitarian crisis will continue to escalate.”

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