Israeli authorities are preparing for a ground operation in Gaza. NBC writes about this.
The Wall Street Journal, citing sources in law enforcement agencies, reported on October 9 that the ground operation would begin no earlier than in two days. Israel had mobilized 300,000 reservists by October 9, nearly four times as many as the country deployed in its last ground operation in Gaza in 2014, the 82,000 “Irksome Rock.”
The scale of Israeli mobilization suggests that plans are underway to completely occupy the Gaza Strip and eliminate armed groups in the strip, Vedomosti writes, citing a source close to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Israeli and American officials expect hostilities to last several weeks. Against this background, Tel Aviv has already turned to the United States for additional military assistance, not excluding that the conflict could spread “to other regional players,” The Washington Post reports.
The first US plane with a shipment of ammunition for the Israeli army has already arrived in Israel. As The Times of Israel reports, citing the press service of the Israel Defense Forces, the ammunition is designed to be capable of delivering significant strikes and organizing additional scenarios. Earlier, an aircraft carrier strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford was also sent to the Eastern Mediterranean.
On the eve of the start of the ground operation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned US leader Joe Biden, declaring the need to conduct “a long and powerful campaign in which Israel will win,” Walla notes. At the same time, Defense Minister Yoav Galant reported that Israel was launching a full-scale offensive, after which “Gaza will never be the same.” He also ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip – water, electricity and fuel will not flow there.
On October 9, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari announced the clearing of militants from all Israeli settlements they had captured. On the night of October 9, the Israeli air force and artillery attacked more than 500 Hamas targets. The latter’s militants have continued rocket attacks on Israeli cities since October 7.
The day before, US President Joe Biden announced a “firm and unwavering” commitment to Israel’s security, reaffirming its right to self-defense. At the same time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, at a meeting with Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abu al-Gheit, said that it is necessary to stop the bloodshed between Israel and Palestine and begin the search for a peaceful solution.
Recall that the Palestinian movement Hamas attacked Israel with rockets on the morning of October 7. The militants were able to take control of some settlements and took hostages. In response, the Israel Defense Forces launched the counter-terrorism Operation Iron Swords in the Gaza Strip. On October 10, the Israeli Defense Minister announced the start of a full-scale offensive. According to the latest data, as a result of attacks by the Palestinian Hamas movement in Israel, more than 1.2 thousand people were killed and more than 3 thousand people were injured. According to the Palestinian authorities, the actions of the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip killed 900 Palestinians and injured another 4.5 thousand.
Source: Rosbalt
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
