US military officials are trying to dissuade Israel from getting involved in bloody house-to-house fighting in Gaza of the kind the United States suffered during the Iraq War, CNN reported.
CNN quoted its sources as saying that while helping Israeli forces develop a number of different strategies against Hamas, American military advisors in Israel cite lessons learned specifically from the Battle of Fallujah in Iraq in 2004.
US military advisers are urging the Israelis to use a combination of precise air strikes and special operations, rather than launching a large-scale ground assault on Gaza.
The US expert stressed that such an attack could endanger hostages and civilians and further inflame tensions in the region.
To help get this message across, the administration of US President Joe Biden sent Marine Corps General James Glenn to advise the Israeli army on planning its tactical offensive.
Gen. Glenn, former commander of Marine Corps Special Operations Command, has extensive experience in urban warfare in Iraq, particularly in Fallujah, where he led troops during some of the bloodiest battles there, officials said.