Israel prepares for ground operation in Gaza: here are the details of the plan
Israel said in a statement late Saturday that its military forces were preparing to implement “a wide range of operational attack plans” ahead of the expected large-scale ground operation against Gaza following Hamas’ attack on Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces said its troops were deployed “across the country” and were increasing “operational readiness for the final phases of the war, with emphasis on key ground operations.”
The Israeli military said it was preparing for “major ground operations” in Gaza, a week after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel in one of the worst attacks in the country’s history.
The next phase of the war could involve a coordinated offensive by land, sea and air, the Israel Defense Forces said on Saturday.
This is what Israel’s attacks on Gaza looked like.
Israeli forces have been shelling Gaza since Hamas launched a devastating offensive last week.
In recent days, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled their homes after Israel ordered 1.1 million civilians – nearly half of Gaza’s population – to leave the northern part of the densely populated enclave, including the city of Loop.
The announcement follows efforts on Saturday to get Palestinians with dual US citizenship and other foreign passport holders to leave Gaza by crossing into Egypt through the Rafah border crossing, after Israel told diplomats it would allow some departures.
This is what Israel’s attacks on Gaza look like in the video shared by the Israeli army.
But no one was allowed to leave, according to four diplomats working on the matter. One official said convoys were moving “back and forth” with conflicting reports about why the border had not been opened.
BIDEN WANTS TO CONVINCE, BUT…On the other hand, a US official speaking to the British Financial Times said that Palestinians with dual US citizenship were encouraged to go to the Rafah border gate, but the situation continues to change.
An Arab diplomat who spoke to the same newspaper said the Biden administration asked Qatar to persuade Hamas not to prevent Palestinians who are American citizens from leaving the strip. The official said the United States had asked the Egyptians to open Rafah and allow them through, but “the Egyptians have not yet agreed to open the border to the Americans.”
Rafah is the only exit from Gaza not controlled by Israel, and has remained largely closed since Israel imposed a blockade in response to Hamas’ violent takeover of the territory in 2007, leaving no exit for the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped inside the area.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Hamas’s armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, launched a comprehensive attack against Israel on the morning of October 7, dubbed the “Aqsa Flood.”
As thousands of rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel, Palestinian armed groups attacked and seized the Beit Hanun-Erez border gate on the Gaza-Israel border.
Armed groups then entered settlements inside Israel from here and the Israeli army launched an attack on the Gaza Strip with dozens of fighter jets.
It was reported that 1,300 Israelis were killed and 3,436 Israelis were injured in the attacks carried out from Gaza.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that 2,215 people, including 724 children and 458 women, were killed and 8,714 injured in Gaza during the Israeli attacks.
It was claimed that 55 Palestinians were killed and approximately 619 people were injured in attacks by Israeli forces and Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
In Israel’s attacks, nine journalists in Gaza and 1 journalist in Lebanon lost their lives.
Source: Sozcu
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
