IDF commanders are considering an invasion of Gaza after which soldiers would withdraw only if the international community agreed to station a peacekeeping force in the area, according to the Jerusalem Post. One source compared the plan to Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon following the Second Lebanon War. At that time, Israel refused to leave southern Lebanon until the United Nations’ UNIFIL force was given more power in the area.
Several senior government officials, including Defense Minister Ehud Barak, have said recently that the IDF will stage a major operation in Gaza at some point in response to terrorist rocket attacks. However, the operation has yet to take place, and some officials say the lack of a clear exit strategy is behind the delay.