Status: 28.10.2023, 05:03 a.m.
By: Tadhg Nagel
CommentsShare
The announced Israeli ground offensive has so far failed to materialize. The reason for this is internal discord between the government and the military.
Update from October 27, 20:31 p.m.: Israel's army has announced that it will expand its ground operations in the Gaza Strip against the Islamist Hamas. This was announced by military spokesman Daniel Hagari on Friday evening on Platform X, formerly Twitter. In the last few hours, the military has already intensified its attacks in the Gaza Strip. Underground targets and terrorist infrastructure are increasingly being attacked, he continued.
It was initially unclear whether the announcement marked the beginning of the Israeli military's widely anticipated ground offensive. The Israeli military had previously made sporadic advances on the ground for a limited period of time.
First reported on October 27, 20:32 p.m.: Tel Aviv/Gaza – Israeli troops reportedly advanced into the Gaza Strip with tanks on Thursday (October 26) to destroy military targets, according to an Israeli army spokesman. After Hamas-used infrastructure and a rocket launch pad were attacked, the soldiers withdrew, according to the army spokesman. The Israeli army described the action as preparation "for the next phases of fighting" in the war in Israel.
Similar advances have already taken place several times in recent weeks since the Islamist Hamas militia attacked Israel. In addition, the Israeli Air Force continues to carry out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. On the other hand, a large-scale ground offensive announced shortly after the attack by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has not yet taken place.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has been increasingly isolated since Hamas' invasion of Israel. © IMAGO/Pool/ABACA
This does not seem to be due to military strength; Tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers are on standby on the Gaza border. Rather, there seems to be disagreement about how to proceed. Israel's political and military leaders are at odds over how, when, and even whether to invade. This is reported by the New York Times, citing seven high-ranking military officials and three Israeli officials.
So far, no ground offensive in the war in Israel – US advises against rapid invasion; Hostages take precedence
The fact that the US advised Israel on Monday (23 October) against an imminent ground offensive certainly plays a role in this. According to ARD's "Tagesschau", the U.S. government hopes to have more time for negotiations on the release of the hostages. More than 200 people are said to still be in the hands of Hamas. In addition, it is a matter of avoiding further civilian casualties and getting aid supplies into the Gaza Strip. On top of that, the White House wants to prepare for attacks by pro-Iranian groups on U.S. targets, because if Israel invades the Gaza Strip, they are expected to increase.
According to the New York Times report, the Israeli government's priority is also the release of the hostages. Therefore, they do not want to jeopardize the negotiations with Hamas, in which Qatar plays a mediating role. The Israeli government agrees that these talks should be given more time to make progress and perhaps also to achieve the release of the captured women and children. However, there is disagreement between the military establishment and parts of the Netanyahu government over what to do if the negotiations fail.
Apart from the hostages, there are also concerns about the cost of the operation and uncertainty about what exactly it might mean to destroy Hamas. After all, it is both a social movement and a military force and is very deeply rooted in the society of the Gaza Strip. Asked how the army would know that Hamas had been crushed, Israeli Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht replied at a press conference a week after the attack: "That's an important question, and I don't think I'm in a position to answer it right now."
0
Read also
0
Kremlin spokesman denies rumours of Putin's death – denial raises mystery
READ
Hard blow for the AfD: First scandal before the first session in the Bavarian state parliament
READ3
War in Israel: Hamas reacts to possible ground offensive
READ
"Stinky finger for all soldiers": Orban causes displeasure at EU summit after meeting with Putin
READ
Bavaria's coalition is in place: Söder smugly explains ministry castling – Aiwanger blunders at photo
READ
Fancy a voyage of discovery?
My Area
Disagreement between Prime Minister and Military – Netanyahu's Invasion Plan Not Signed
The military leadership has already drawn up an invasion plan, but Netanyahu has not signed it. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that he wants the approval of all members of the War Cabinet. On the other hand, some analysts would believe, it may be because Netanyahu is afraid of the public's dwindling confidence in his leadership and does not want to be blamed for the failure of the operation. His office declined to comment to the newspaper. Fed up with this, reference was made to a speech given by Netanyahu on Wednesday evening (25 October). In it, he again promised to destroy Hamas, but without being more specific about the method or timing.
This ambiguity reflects the Israeli cabinet's disagreement over whether to authorize a full-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip. Some parliamentarians fear that an invasion could embroil the Israeli army in an intractable house-to-house fighting situation in the Gaza Strip. Others are afraid of a wider conflict in which the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, allied with Hamas, fires long-range rockets at Israeli cities. In addition, there is a debate about whether the invasion should be carried out in one major operation or in a series of smaller operations. And then there is the question of who would govern the Gaza Strip if Israel took it.
Should the hostages be freed or Hamas destroyed – irreconcilable goals in the war in Israel
The military establishment, meanwhile, is concerned that Israel's goals could be blurred if Netanyahu makes good on his promise to simultaneously free all hostages and try to destroy Hamas. The first goal requires negotiations and concessions with the Hamas leadership, while the second requires the destruction of Hamas – projects that are difficult to reconcile. Subsequently, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant explicitly did not mention the rescue of the hostages as one of Israel's military goals. This expresses the internal division particularly clearly, according to the newspaper.
It is also striking that Prime Minister Netanyahu has shown himself to be unusually isolated since the Hamas attack. His poll numbers had recently fallen sharply. He is also blamed, along with his government, for the catastrophic failure of Israel's security agencies. Few members of his administration have given him their full backing since then, according to the New York Times. However, most would not want to investigate possible mistakes by the government until after the end of the war. (tpn)