There was less drama around the Israeli campaign in Zeitoun, in northern Gaza, which began days after the fighting in Rafah. Instead there was a sense of déjà vu. Israel’s army fought there last year, at the start of this war, and returned for a two-week offensive in February. Now it is back for a third time, and perhaps not the last. And the refusal to plan for the day after the war is fuelling a crisis with America. Is Israel fighting a normal war ?

