Hypothetically, Israel could respond to attacks with greater force. It could pummel Palestinian towns more intensively, seal off more effectively the Palestinian territories and cut off all fuel, water and electricity to those areas. Escalation could mean greater terrorism inside Israel but also the intervention of other countries and the beginning of a regional war. Since Palestinian snipers and bomb makers take cover in Palestinian-controlled areas, some Israelis suggest reinvading the territory turned over to Arafat in the course of the Oslo peace process. It turns the clock backwards.
Israeli soldiers become easy targets and the rate of casualties increases.
Ironically, part of Israel's difficulty in dealing with the Palestinians stems from the promise of peace. And part of the difficulty comes from the strange nature of this war. Like Barak, Arafat is under pressure to increase the intensity of the conflict. Analysts say Arafat does not have the power to squelch radical expressions of Palestinian discontent. He is counting instead on sympathetic international intervention to put an end to the bloodshed and deliver diplomatic gains.