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Perspective | Envisioning a New Gaza Conflict
Daphne Richemond-Barak, the author of “Underground Warfare,” writes in Foreign Policy magazine: “Never in the history of tunnel warfare has a defender been able to spend months in such confined spaces. The digging itself, the innovative ways Hamas has made use of the tunnels and the group’s survival underground for this long have been unprecedented.”
In this war, Hamas is often underground while the Israelis are aboveground, with Hamas seeking to position civilians directly between them. As Barry Posen, a professor at the security studies program at M.I.T., has written, Hamas’s strategy could be described as ‘human camouflage’ and more ruthlessly as ‘human ammunition.’ Hamas’s goal is to maximize the number of Palestinians who die in order to build international pressure until Israel is forced to end the war before Hamas is wiped out. The group’s survival depends on support in the court of international opinion and on making the conflict as bloody as possible for civilians until Israel relents.
The Israelis have faced challenges in clearing and destroying the tunnels. Israel Defense Forces units clear the ground around a tunnel entrance, then use robots, drones, and dogs to detect explosives and enemy combatants. Units trained in underground warfare then enter the tunnels. Richemond-Barak notes that Israel has found it difficult to detect or map the entirety of Hamas’s tunnel network, but to claim victory, they must destroy at least two-thirds of the known underground infrastructure.
Clearing tunnels is slow, dangerous, and destructive work. Israel has caused significant destruction in Gaza, particularly early in the conflict. Due to the tunnels, Israel has inflicted more damage in Gaza than Syria did in Aleppo and more than Russia did in Mariupol, according to an Associated Press analysis.
John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, who has served in Iraq and visited Gaza during the current conflict, highlighted that Israel has made more effort to protect civilians compared to the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq. Spencer reported that Israel has warned civilians before operations, published online maps showing areas to avoid, sent millions of warnings through pamphlets, texts, and calls, and conducted daily pauses to allow civilians to leave combat zones. These measures have telegraphed the IDF’s movements but have also prolonged the conflict.
In conclusion, the situation in Gaza is complex, with both Hamas and Israel employing strategies to achieve their goals. The underground warfare and civilian protection efforts by Israel have been notable in this conflict, highlighting the challenges and complexities of modern warfare in densely populated areas. The international community must continue to engage with the situation in Gaza to promote a peaceful resolution and ensure the protection of civilians caught in the crossfire.
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Is now the right time to invest in gold as prices have cooled?
The price of gold has climbed to record highs recently and has remained strong through much of April. And, that growth continued until the precious metal traded at around $2,390 per ounce on April 19, 2024. But since, growth in the price of the precious metal has cooled, with gold’s price now hovering around $2,300 per ounce.
This lull in gold’s price may represent an investment opportunity.
In general, investing is centered around buying assets when prices are low and selling them when prices are high – generating a profit on the difference between the two. So, considering the declines in gold’s price over the past few days, now may be the time to make your investment. But is buying gold during this lull in prices really a good idea?
Compare your gold investment options among leading brokers now.
Gold prices have cooled. Should you buy in now?
With gold’s price down from recent highs, you may be wondering if now is the right time to buy in. There are several reasons the dip in gold’s price may represent an opportunity to buy. Here are some of the biggest:
Prices may rise again
If looking at a gold price chart shows anything for certain, it shows that changes in the overall growth of the medal come in fits and spurts. Periods of price growth are typically followed by periods of declines and vice versa.
But with inflation rising in recent months – and with gold’s reputation as a safe-haven asset that can hedge against inflation – it only makes sense that the price of the precious metal will eventually start to head up again in the future. While attempting to time that directional change may be tricky, buying the precious metal while the price is down gives you the opportunity to take advantage of any upward movement that may be ahead.
Add gold to your portfolio now before prices have a chance to rise.
You may be able to make a quick profit
Gold isn’t known as an asset in which you can earn a quick return, but in today’s market, that may be the case. Don’t forget that in January, gold was trading at just $2,000 per ounce. And, by mid-April, the commodity’s price had climbed to around $2,400 per ounce. That’s about 20% growth in a matter of months, much of which happened since March 1 – an impressive climb for any investment asset.
Perhaps more importantly, gold’s price growth through the beginning of 2024 shows that the commodity doesn’t have to be a buy and hold style investment that you keep in a safety deposit box or precious metal depository for years to come. There’s also the possibility that the commodity’s price could climb further ahead, making it a compelling way to potentially generate a quick profit.
There are other benefits of investing in gold
There are other benefits of investing in gold that have little to do with the price growth seen thus far in 2024 – or the lull in prices seen over the past couple of days. Those benefits include:
- Inflation protection: Gold has long been considered an inflation hedge, and for good reason. When inflation drives the prices of consumer goods and services up – and the value of the dollar down – gold’s price tends to rise. So, it could be used to maintain the value of your portfolio during inflationary economic conditions. That’s important in today’s economic environment as stubborn inflation continues to weigh on the value of the dollar.
- Portfolio diversification: Gold’s price doesn’t always move in the same pattern that bonds or stocks do. So, mixing a reasonable amount of gold into your portfolio (up to 10% of your portfolio assets) as a diversifier could protect you from losses should one or more of your traditional portfolio assets fall in value. “If you have less than 5% – 10% of your net worth in commodities & FX (forex), you should absolutely consider adding exposure to gold and other precious metals,” says Vijay Marolia, money manager and managing partner at the wealth management firm, Regal Point Capital.
The bottom line
Gold’s price has fallen from recent highs – which may represent an opportunity to tap into growth ahead. However, gold isn’t simply a “buy while it’s low and sell while it’s a high” kind of investment opportunity. The commodity can also protect your portfolio from the stubborn inflation we’ve seen thus far in 2024 while acting as a diversification tool that could increase your risk-adjusted portfolio returns. So, consider adding gold to your portfolio today while it has the potential to grow in value.
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