Published October 17, 2023
Israel appears to have delayed a ground invasion of Gaza that was expected as early as Friday, and speculation is mounting as to why.
Last Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a warning to civilians in northern Gaza to evacuate south, giving them 24 hours to do so (though a spokesman later said that the IDF understood that the evacuation might take several days). But since then, while massing troops on the border, the IDF has not invaded Gaza, except in sporadic attacks to conduct reconnaissance.
One reason is Lebanon. Iran’s proxy terrorist army, Hezbollah, has been firing anti-tank missiles at Israeli posts on the border sporadically, and commandos have been trying to breach the Israeli border at various points. Israel has maintained a policy of firing back, but only at the positions from which they were attacked, not at broader Hezbollah targets. If Hezbollah were to go to war, as Iran has threatened, Israel would be fighting a war on two fronts. So it has been taking time to prepare for that outcome.
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SOURCE: https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2023/10/17/israel-delay-in-ground-invasion-of-gaza-prompts-speculation/
RELATED: Netanyahu tells his forces Israel is with them as the ‘fateful hour’ to attack Gaza Strip by land, sea and air draws near: UN warns of ‘spectre of death’ as enclave’s hospitals run out of medicine and crisis threatens to engulf whole Middle East
Israel Defense Force (IDF) troops were photographed in a ‘band of brothers’ moment as they prepared for the imminent Gaza ground incursion
Published October 16, 2023
- Tensions are continuing to rise amid a planned Israeli ground offensive in Gaza
- READ MORE: Thousands take to world streets demanding an end to conflict
Israel’s imminent invasion of Gaza could turn into an occupation lasting 18 months in order to dismantle the ‘bloodthirsty monsters’ of Hamas.
Rainy weather delayed the full-scale onslaught yesterday but Israel’s prime minister vowed to ‘demolish’ the terror group.
A week after the bloodbath that shocked the world, Benjamin Netanyahu said the nation was approaching a ‘fateful hour’.
However, the United Nations has warned that the ‘spectre of death’ looms over Gaza as hundreds of thousands continue fleeing from the expected Israeli invasion.
Supplies of food, water, fuel and medicines are running dangerously low after Israel imposed blockades on the Palestinian territory – but today Egypt agreed to re-open the Rafah border crossing for eight hours between 6am to 2pm GMT.
A ceasefire agreed upon by Egypt, Israel and the US will coincide with the opening of the border crossing and would last for several hours, two Egyptian security sources said on Monday.
Undeterred by the comments of human rights observers over recent days, Mr Netanyahu said preparations were being made around the clock to launch the ground offensive, with nearly 400,000 soldiers gearing up for battle in Gaza.
He pledged: ‘They are ready to take action to defeat the bloodthirsty monsters who have risen against us to destroy us. Hamas thought that we would come apart – we will demolish Hamas.’
Scores of Israeli soldiers were yesterday photographed with arms draped over each other’s shoulders in a ‘band of brothers’ moment as they prepared near Ashkelon, by the Gaza border.
The Israeli military’s rules of engagement have reportedly been ‘loosened’ for the ground invasion to allow fewer checks before shooting.
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SOURCE: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12634015/Gaza-Israel-warns-fateful-hour-near-Israeli-troops-poised-air-land-sea-assault-besieged-state-running-low-fuel-water-medical-supplies.html
RELATED: Human Shields And Tunnels – Why Israel May Be Delaying Gaza Ground Assault
Israel is poised for its most ambitious ground offensive since the 2006 invasion of Lebanon. This will also be the first time since the 2008 invasion of Gaza that Israel has attempted to capture and retain territory.
Israel has subjected Gaza to the heaviest bombardment in its history.
Published October 15, 2023
New Delhi: The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) geared up for a ground attack on the Hamas-held Gaza Strip today, in retaliation for the unprecedented land-sea-air assault on its territories that left over 1,300 Israelis dead. As Israel continued its airstrike on Hamas-linked locations in Gaza, Iran warned of “grave consequences” if the bombardment did not stop.
Israel is poised for its most ambitious ground offensive since the 2006 invasion of Lebanon. This will also be the first time since the 2008 invasion of Gaza that Israel has attempted to capture and retain territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to eliminate Hamas after its deadly attack on civilians, the deadliest in the country’s history.
Israel has subjected Gaza to the heaviest bombardment in its history. This placed the region, home to 2.3 million people, under a complete lockdown and destroyed much of its infrastructure.
To counter Hamas’s multi-pronged attack, Israel, along with the combined might of its military and air force, has mobilised 300,000 reservists to fulfill Netanyahu’s avowed quest to reduce Gaza to rubble. The planned ground offensive had not begun by the early hours of Sunday.
But Why The Delay?
According to The New York Times, the Israeli forces’ weekend invasion plans were thwarted by cloudy weather, which would have made it difficult for pilots and drone operators to provide air cover for ground troops.
Thousands of Gazans flooded into southern Gaza on Saturday after Israel warned them to leave before the possible ground assault. UN officials in Gaza said the Israeli military, which is massing troops at the border, had given them a 24-hour deadline to complete the evacuation.
The Israeli army carried out localised raids in Gaza over the past 24 hours to clear the area of terrorists and weapons, and to locate missing persons.
A potential full-scale invasion is complex, compounded by the fact that Hamas is believed to be holding many Israeli hostages in their underground bunkers and tunnels.
