The New York Times reported, citing sources in the Israeli army, that the ground operation was postponed “for a few days” due to bad weather that may hinder the ability of pilots and drone operators to support the forces.
The Israeli army shared with the newspaper unclassified details about the ground operation plan in the Gaza Strip, which showed that the operation will begin in the coming days.
The Israeli army announced that its ultimate goal is to eliminate the top political and military hierarchy of the Hamas movement, which controls Gaza and led "the attacks that took place last week in Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,300 people."
The New York Times notes that the ground operation in the Gaza Strip “risks plunging Israel into months of bloody urban fighting, whether above ground or in an area of tunnels — a risky attack that Israel has long avoided because it involves fighting on a plot of land.” It is narrow and crowded, inhabited by more than two million people.
The article indicated that the Israeli army has not yet officially announced its intention to invade the Gaza Strip, although it confirmed that reconnaissance teams entered the Strip briefly on Friday and that Israeli forces are increasing their “preparedness” for a ground war.
According to the newspaper, “It is believed that tens of thousands of Hamas militants have holed up inside hundreds of miles of tunnels and underground bunkers under Gaza City and its surrounding parts in northern Gaza.”
Israeli military leaders expect that Hamas will try to obstruct their progress by blowing up some of these tunnels as the Israelis advance over them, and by detonating bombs planted on the sides of the roads and booby-trapping buildings.
The leaders added, "Hamas is also planning to ambush Israeli forces from behind by suddenly emerging from the openings of hidden tunnels spread throughout northern Gaza."
The Gaza Strip is facing difficult humanitarian conditions, and Israel continues its aggression against the Gaza Strip for the ninth day in a row, dropping thousands of tons of bombs on civilian homes throughout the Strip, leaving dozens dead and wounded.
The continuous raids resulted in massive destruction in populated areas, huge loss of life, and a mass exodus from the Gaza Strip, amid a stifling siege that Russian President Vladimir Putin described as “unacceptable” and likened to the Nazi siege of Leningrad.
On Saturday evening, the Israeli army spokesman announced that the army is preparing to expand the scope of the attack and implement a wide range of offensive operational plans, which include a joint and coordinated attack from the air, sea and land.
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