The New York Times quoted senior IDF officials as confirming that the ground incursion of IDF forces into Gaza would begin soon.
According to the Times, the IDF plans to enter Gaza by ground with tens of thousands of troops, with the goal of capturing the city and destroying the current leadership, according to three senior Israeli military officers who detailed unclassified details about the plan.
A column of tanks near the Gaza Strip, photo: AFP
US media also reported that it was unclear whether Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran, allied with Hamas and has a huge variety of precision-guided missiles and ground forces, would respond to such an invasion by opening another front with Israel, this time from Lebanon.
The Times stresses that the military has not yet formally announced that it will invade Gaza, although it confirmed that there were brief raids into Gaza on Friday and that Israeli forces are stepping up their preparedness for a ground war.
Tens of thousands of Hamas militants are suspected of barricading themselves in hundreds of kilometers of tunnels and underground bunkers beneath Gaza City and parts surrounding northern Gaza. Senior IDF officials expect Hamas to try to delay their advance by blowing up some of these tunnels as forces advance above them, and by detonating roadside IEDs and booby-trapped structures.
IDF forces in the envelope, photo: Reuters
According to The New York Times, the invasion was initially planned for last weekend but was delayed by at least a few days because of weather conditions that would have made it difficult for Israeli pilots and drone operators to provide ground forces with air cover, the officers said.
In addition to the infantry, it will include a tank force, sappers and commandos, the officers added. Ground troops will be covered by warplanes, helicopters, aerial drones and artillery from land and sea. Their goal will be "the corruption of Hamas and the elimination of its leaders after the massacre they committed," IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari said on Saturday.
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