It is a stalemateA position in chess where neither player can win. It derives from the Old English stale, meaning a position, and Persian mat, meaning dead. that creeps into the darkening hours of each night. On one side of the increasingly fragile border, Israeli soldiers wait with bated breath for the order from above. On the other, Palestinians hold their children close, eyes shut as the bombs rain down.

As the deaths rise in both Israel and PalestineAn area located in the Southern Levant region of Western Asia. , a ground invasion from Israel seems inevitable. All that remains for both sides is to wait.

Israel has amassed 100,000 troops on the border with the Gaza StripThe smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, surrounded by Israel and Egypt. following the HamasA militant Palestinian organisation, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. It is listed as a terrorist organisation in the UK. offensive in Israel on Sunday, whilst a whopping 360,000 reservistsA member of a military reserve force. In peacetime, they have non-military jobs. have been mobilisedWhen soldiers are quickly prepared and organised to fight. to join the fighting - 4% of the country's population.

Israel promises to enact a bloody punishment on Hamas, which has killed more than 1,200 in Israel and wounded a further 2,700 since breaching the border on Saturday.¹

Israel has invaded the Gaza Strip twice since it withdrew in 2005. On the first occasion, a 15-day ground invasion in 2009, 1,400 Palestinians were killed. On the second, 19-day invasion in 2014, Israeli soldiers killed 2,251 Palestinians and sustained 71 losses of their own. This time, Israel's invasion is likely to be more prolonged.

Israel has a strong upper hand. Between its army, one of the most sophisticated in the world, and military aid from America, it is hard to imagine it struggling against the comparativelyIn comparison to another thing. under-resourced Hamas forces.

But underestimating Hamas would be a mistake. Israel's military is not well-equipped for Gaza's densely populated urban spaces. Its tanks are vulnerable to attacks from the high buildings Hamas fighters will likely occupy, whilst its high-tech drones often work poorly in built-up areas. And Hamas has a big network of underground tunnels, only some of which are known to Israel.

If Israel is successful, they risk pulling in the Lebanese militant group HezbollahA militant organisation based in Lebanon, classified in the UK as a terrorist group. It has made direct attacks on Israel and is believed to have been responsible for assassinating Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri., which is a key allyA country that has agreed to support another one. of Hamas with far more resources. It risks escalating into a large-scale regional war which could implicate both countries' complex web of global alliances. Many believe that victory would only be temporary.

Even the notion of "winning" seems redundantNot needed any more. Someone who is made redundant loses their job because their work is not needed. . The conflict has killed at least 830 people in Gaza and left a further 180,000 homeless.² Some think this can be a conflict with no winners.

Yes: Israel is vastly superior in terms of military strength and will have more than ten soldiers for every Hamas fighter. It may take a while to adapt their technology to the task, but realistically Israel will win the war.

No: Hamas has been planning for this eventuality. Its underground tunnels and use of urban space will give it a distinct upper hand. In addition, Israel's military has shown its weaknesses.

Or... Nobody wins in this situation. Thousands will almost certainly die. And if Hamas loses, it risks sparking further conflict and a second front; it also risks another, even more aggressive successor rising up in Palestine.