Israel has reportedly agreed to consider delaying its ground invasion of Gaza for several days to allow hostage negotiations to continue, sparking fierce debate at home and abroad over the move.
The Biden administration is said to be at the forefront of a cautious approach, concerned that Israel does not have an achievable military goal – to eliminate the terrorist group Hamas – in part because of a lack of readiness to complete such a monumental task.
“Hamas has had 15 years to prepare a dense ‘defense in depth’ that integrates underground, ground-level and above-ground fortifications, communications tunnels, emplacements and fighting positions,” Michael Knights, a fellow with The Washington Institute, stated in a recent statement. analysis.
The terror group has laid the groundwork for “potential minefields, improvised explosive devices, explosively formed anti-armour penetrating mines and buildings rigged as booby traps” — all carrying the potential for heavy Israeli casualties.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has had numerous calls with Israel’s hawkish defense minister, Yoav Gallant, in which he explained the problems facing American troops during their own urban battles in the Middle East over the past two decades.
“The first thing that everybody should know, and I think everybody knows, is that urban combat is very difficult,” Austin said on ABC News’ ‘This Week’ on Sunday.
Israeli tanks and troops are deployed and ready to attack along the borders of the Gaza Strip. HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
President Biden repeated Austin’s call to consider delaying the invasion during his visit to Tel Aviv last week, urging Israel to avoid the same mistakes the US made after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
“I warn that, when you feel that anger, don’t be consumed by it. After 9/11, we were angry in the United States. While we seek justice and get justice, we also make mistakes,” Biden told reporters.
Speaking in the country, Biden called on Israel to make “an honest assessment of whether the path you’re taking will achieve those objectives.”
But a senior Israeli security official told the Guardian that the current situation is different from that in the US.
Israel Defense Forces leaders have said they are ready to begin an invasion of Gaza.AFP via Getty Images
“It’s not Fallujah, or Baghdad or Basra, it’s a kibbutz 300 meters from Khan Younis or from Gaza City,” the source said, referring to the close proximity of the Israeli army to its target territory.
“Our village is far from the Palestinians who attacked them last Saturday,” the source said — referring to the October 7 slaughter of an estimated 1,400 Israelis during a Hamas sneak attack.
The Israel Defense Forces have insisted they are ready for war, announcing they had given the government the “green light” to issue marching orders last week as legions of tanks were seen deployed along the border of the Gaza Strip.times
IDF officials on Tuesday warned the government that its troops cannot be held back indefinitely if they want to remain combat-ready, according to the Times of Israel.
Some critics have warned that the longer Israel waits to attack Gaza, the more likely it will lose public support as its forces continue to bomb Hamas and endanger civilians.MOHAMMED SABER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Israel’s former Deputy National Security Adviser Chuck Freilich also pointed out that waiting for an attack opens Israel to the risk of seeing public opinion turn against it as its rocket attacks on Gaza continue to injure civilians in the city.
“Obviously, as time goes on, the verification of Israeli attacks is decreasing,” Freilich told ABC News. “As an uglier picture [of civilians] out of Gaza, it hurts Israel.”
During a visit to the IDF troops on Monday, Gallant promised them, “We are making great preparations. It will be a fatal attack.
“Do your job, get ready, we’ll deploy you,” he said.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
