The psychological impact on Israelis has been compared with the shock of 9/11 in America. So after the Israeli military repels the initial Palestinian attack, the question of what to do next will loom large. There are few good options for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has declared war and is being pressured into a major military response.
Unlike the series of clashes with Palestinian forces in Gaza over the past three years, this appears to be a full-scale conflict mounted by Hamas and its allies.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being pressured to launch major military response that previous leaders have been scrupulously avoiding since 2005.
The attack is a startling reminder that stability in the region remains a bloody mirage. The psychological impact on Israelis has been compared with the shock of 9/11 in America.