I think that's exactly what it is. Israel is basically used to be able to do whatever they want with impunity. I think they actually want to expand this to a war with Iran because that would force US to get directly involved. From everything I've read, it looks like the whole Gaza campaign is a huge debacle. They failed to achieve any strategic goals, they lots a lot of troops and equipment, their economy is now suffering because of the blockade by Yemen and due to the fact that they had to mobilize a bunch of people. Now, they're finding themselves in a war of attrition in a dense urban environment, and their army is not really built for that.

I think it's the same logic Ukraine had earlier own where they kept hoping that they could create some kind of a provocation that would force NATO to go all in. The difference is that Israel has a much better chance of actually achieving that.