Israel sent ground troops to the center of the Gaza Strip on Friday morning. According to the army, the focus of the advance was on “terrorist targets” of the radical Islamic Hamas.
The ground forces attacked, among other things, launch platforms for anti-tank missiles and Hamas command centers. The soldiers then left the combat area unharmed.
The previous night, Israeli main battle tanks had also advanced in the north.
Progress is intended to pave the way for a ground offensive
The Israeli military has already made several such limited forays into the Gaza Strip in the past three weeks. They are seen as preparation for a planned Israeli ground offensive.
The Israelis were divided over a ground offensive
Nearly half of Israelis are in favor of postponing a major ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, according to a poll. In contrast, only 29 percent believe that the Israeli army should immediately invade the coastal strip, a survey shows. This means that support for a ground offensive decreases significantly.
A survey on October 19 showed that 65 percent were still in favor of an invasion. In the most recent survey it is 49 percent. The survey responses suggested that the approximately 200 hostages Hamas held in the Gaza Strip played a major role in the shift in opinion.
Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, has said 50 hostages have been killed there in Israeli airstrikes. One released hostage reported being held in a Hamas tunnel targeted by Israel.
Source: Krone
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