Unless there is a very significant and surprising change, the IDF will soon embark on a ground maneuver defined as "aggressive" and even "very aggressive," as befits someone who murdered children in Bari. The decision on the timing and nature of the maneuver will certainly not be published in the media, but the maneuver was carried out in accordance with operational considerations, the effort to evacuate the population, humanitarian pressure, the need to exhaust the operation from the air, and weather considerations – the IDF is waiting for the sixth hour.
The IDF rightly speaks of the fact that this war cannot be ended without the threat being removed, because this is a war that is no less than our existence and future here in the State of Israel, just like in 1948.
IDF to residents of northern Gaza: We will allow safe movement on two main streets // IDF Spokesperson
If in recent years the IDF has quibbled a lot about the question of "victory" and what that "victory" is, now the army is talking in absolute terms, of the need to end the war in Gaza unequivocally, which will include maneuvering into the heart of the regime and Hamas' operational components in Gaza. Whoever forced a child and shot him in the head, the IDF says, will no longer be able to live in the Middle East.
As is well known, the IDF prepares operational plans in advance, and in the most stringent scenarios, the IDF is not prepared for such an extensive and aggressive entry into the Gaza Strip as will actually be carried out. In light of the situation, when the events began, the IDF changed its operational plans to suit the objective presented to the IDF – removing the threat from the south and fundamentally changing the reality.
IDF forces in the Gaza Strip, photo: AP
The IDF is aware of the shortages
As is well known, immediately after the beginning of the fighting, the IDF recruited 300,<> reservists, some of whom complain about a lack of equipment. The top echelons of the army are aware that there are places where equipment is indeed lacking and there are gaps. The army notes that coordination of expectations is required: from the outset, no one planned for all fighters to have ceramic vests, only those who maneuver, and not all reserve forces to have night vision equipment.
Attack in the Gaza Strip. The IDF is also waiting for the exhaustion of air activity, Photo: Reuters
After previous operations, harsh criticism was voiced about the weapons used by the IDF, such as outdated armored personnel carriers. This time, the army notes that this time it is a war for existence, and they fight with what there is - "even with a stick and a nail."
The feeling at the top of the army is that despite these gaps, the IDF is a strong and well-trained army, and the victory in the war will not be by tank or plane - but only thanks to the fighting spirit of the fighters and commanders. Some of them have even said in recent days that they are willing to return with half a battalion, provided they bring the result, since what was done to us last Saturday is unforgivable.
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