Over the weekend, the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, achieved what no one thought was possible. 

Under the cover of a hail of thousands of deadly missiles that overwhelmed Israel’s vaunted Iron Dome defences, invading Hamas militants freely roamed residential streets. They took dozens of Israeli civilians at will, and left hundreds dead. 

Since then, Israel has responded with force, launching airstrikes that killed nearly 300 Palestinians in 24 hours. The country’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has declared war on Hamas, vowing to exact “mighty vengeance”.

There is much speculation about why Hamas decided to carry out this deadly invasion now.

According to political and international editor Peter Hartcher, understanding the timing behind this attack will help us understand why this war is not just a savage new round in the Israeli-Palestinian struggle. And why instead, it signals that a much bigger conflict is afoot.