Published October 17, 2023
Israeli forces are ready to go. Around 360,000 reservists have been mobilized in the aftermath of the horrific October 7 terror attacks, where 1,000 Hamas terrorists conducted a campaign of murder, rape, and kidnapping. Over 1,200 Israelis were killed in the assault. This act of terrorism and the viciousness that was carried out shocked Israel and the world. Babies were beheaded and burned—a new level of barbarism on a mass scale.
When Israel does invade, it will be for the long haul. They won’t leave until Hamas has been virtually wiped off the face of the Earth, which will be the world’s benefit. There are reportedly 40,000 Hamas terrorists waiting for the attack. Urban warfare is nasty, slow, and ferocious. This assault won’t be a cakewalk.
But inclement weather halted what many expected to be the start of the ground war over the weekend. Israel needs clear skies to ensure near-constant air cover for its forces because they will need it. The second impediment is Joe Biden’s quick trip to Israel ahead of the ground operation, where he’ll undoubtedly say something stupid. It shouldn’t be a long trip, but as Israel waits, the real concern is what will happen once the first ground troops enter Gaza.
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SOURCE: https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2023/10/17/and-here-are-more-reasons-for-why-israels-invasion-of-gaza-has-been-postponed-n2629940
RELATED: Israel strikes Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
Tensions flare along Israeli-Lebanese border amid exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces
Published October 17, 2023
Israel launched airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon early Tuesday, according to the military.
An army statement said it struck military targets belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanese territory, without providing further details.
Initial reports emerged that a site near the village of Aitaroun in southern Lebanon was struck in the Israeli attacks, according to the Jerusalem Post newspaper.
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SOURCE: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israel-strikes-hezbollah-targets-in-lebanon/3022352
RELATED: Why has the Gaza ground invasion been delayed since Friday? – analysis
Published October 16, 2023
It seemed crystal clear on Thursday: the IDF counter-invasion of Gaza would start either Friday or Saturday.
The IDF had given certain deadlines for Palestinians to evacuate northern Gaza, with the deadlines expiring by midday Friday.
The drum beat toward an invasion had started as early as Sunday-Monday and was only getting louder, with the air force having already paved the way with several days of withering bombing.
Yet, now we have arrived at late Monday, and if anything, the signs (which could also be psychological warfare) are that the invasion is further away, and not yet imminent.
What changed?
A number of factors seem to have caused a delay, but sources have told The Jerusalem Post that one factor has been a growing concern that Hezbollah is waiting for the moment that most IDF ground forces are committed to Gaza to open a full front with the IDF in the north.
In this narrative, the fact that Hezbollah did not engage at the start of the war Saturday morning and has kept its attacks on Israel at a fairly low threshold does not prove that it is deterred but is part of an elaborate fake-out to lure the IDF into a false sense of security, similar to what Hamas pulled off in the south.
As fodder for such suspicions, sources would note that Israeli intelligence and the political echelon must have a new level of humility about their assessments of enemy intentions after missing the boat regarding Hamas in the south.
This will not stop the IDF from invading Gaza, but it may have caused a delay to better double-check signs regarding Hezbollah’s intentions as well as to further reinforce the northern forces in case the worst comes to pass.
There is also a deepening recognition in the IDF and at the political level, that the IDF has not done anything like this in decades, and that rushing in unprepared, simply to more quickly satisfy the wider population’s thirst for retribution, could be a large mistake.
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SOURCE: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-768684
