According to a report in the US media, the Israeli army has postponed the planned invasion of the Gaza Strip by a few days due to unfavorable weather conditions. The ground offensive was actually supposed to start this weekend.
The operation was postponed due to cloudy skies and resulting visibility problems for pilots and drones, the New York Times reported, citing three unnamed senior Israeli officers.
Israel wants to wipe out Hamas
The aim is to eradicate the political and military leadership of the Islamist organization Hamas, which carried out massacres in Israel a week ago, killing hundreds. The military operation risks Israel becoming embroiled in months of bloody house-to-house fighting, the report said. Tens of thousands of Hamas fighters are believed to be holed up in bunkers and hundreds of kilometers of underground tunnel systems beneath Gaza City and surrounding parts of the northern Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military believes Hamas will try to hinder its progress by blowing up tunnels as ground troops advance above them. Hamas also plans to get behind Israeli lines through secret tunnel exits and attack from behind. Another strategic dilemma is that the terrorists can hide underground very effectively with hostages.
Hostages as human shields
In addition to infantry units, the Israeli response force will also include tanks and engineers, the officers said. The ground forces would receive cover from fighter jets, attack helicopters, drones and artillery from both land and sea, the report said. Israeli officials warn that Hamas could kill Israeli hostages and use civilians as human shields. They also littered the area with booby traps, the New York Times reported.
Palestinian terrorists carried out a massacre of Israeli civilians on behalf of Hamas in border towns and at a music festival last weekend. More than 1,300 people died. Israel has since responded with heavy airstrikes on targets in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 2,228 people and wounding 8,744 others, according to Palestinian figures on Saturday.
Source: Krone
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