NYT: Israel Postpones Ground Operation In Gaza
- 15.10.2023, 9:58
The reason was announced.
The Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip was initially planned for the weekend, but was delayed by a few days at least in part because of weather conditions that would have made it harder for Israeli pilots and drone operators to provide ground forces with air cover, The New York Times writes, citing Israeli officers.
In addition to infantry, the Israeli strike force will include tanks, sappers and commandos.
Adding to the complexity of the invasion, Hamas is believed to be holding many Israeli hostages with them in their underground bunkers and tunnels. Israeli military analysts say they fear Hamas will use the hostages as human shields.
The attack is expected to be Israel's largest ground operation since its 2006 invasion of Lebanon. It would also be Israel's first attempt to seize land and at least briefly hold it since its 2008 invasion of Gaza, according to three senior officers the newspaper spoke to.
The operation risks locking Israel into months of bloody urban combat, both above ground and in a warren of tunnels — a fraught offensive that Israel has long avoided because it involves fighting in a narrow and tightly packed sliver of land populated by more than 2 million people.
It remains unclear what Israel would do with the Gaza Strip if it captured it, or what exactly Israeli officials mean when they describe the destruction of Hamas' leadership.