Israel Anticipates Prolonged Ground Offensive in Gaza to Neutralize Hamas and its Extensive Tunnel Network

Israel’s Defense Minister announced on Friday that the nation is preparing for an extended and challenging ground operation in Gaza with the aim of neutralizing Hamas and its elaborate tunnel infrastructure. Yoav Gallant spoke to a select group of international journalists in Tel Aviv, following a limited ground incursion into Gaza supported by Israeli fighter jets and drones. This marks the second such operation in as many days, targeting areas on the periphery of Gaza City.

Gallant emphasized that the upcoming ground assault, following weeks of aerial bombardments, will be of considerable duration and will subsequently give way to a protracted period of less intense conflict as Israel focuses on eliminating “residual resistance.”

Simultaneously, tensions in the region have escalated as U.S. aircraft targeted locations in eastern Syria. The Pentagon stated these sites were connected to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, following a series of assaults on American forces. Furthermore, unidentified objects struck towns in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

Rising Death Toll and Humanitarian Crisis

The conflict, ignited by a violent incursion by Hamas into southern Israel, has now entered its third week. Palestinian officials report that over 7,300 people have died in Gaza. A blockade has resulted in the scarcity of essential supplies including food, water, fuel, and medical provisions. Calls for a ceasefire have been made by United Nations and Arab leaders to facilitate the slow entry of humanitarian aid.

The Health Ministry in Gaza revealed a comprehensive list of those deceased, comprising more than 3,000 minors and over 1,500 women. Israel has reported more than 1,400 deaths resulting from the Hamas attack on October 7 and disclosed that at least 229 hostages were taken into Gaza. Palestinian militants have launched thousands of rockets into Israel, including one that recently struck a residential area in Tel Aviv, causing four injuries.

The ongoing conflict has already claimed more lives than the combined fatalities of the four previous wars between Israel and Hamas, estimated at approximately 4,000. The anticipated ground invasion is expected to result in even greater casualties on both sides as armed confrontations take place in densely populated areas.

Fuel Scarcity and Infrastructure Concerns

Israel has halted all fuel deliveries to Gaza since the onset of the conflict, leaving hospitals scrambling for fuel to power essential life-sustaining equipment. Gallant stated that Israel suspects Hamas would seize any fuel entering the territory for use in operating its extensive tunnel network, which originates in civilian regions. He provided aerial imagery purportedly showing a tunnel opening located adjacent to a hospital.

Details regarding Hamas’ clandestine tunnel system and other infrastructure remain elusive, and verification of Gallant’s assertions was not possible. Lynne Hastings, the United Nations aid coordinator for the Palestinian territories, refrained from commenting on the matter, stating that information about what Hamas possesses remains uncertain.

The U.N. agency tasked with aiding Palestinian refugees noted that it has been compelled to allocate fuel among essential systems in hospitals, bakeries, and water purification plants and that supplies will last only a few more days.

Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, stated that the blockade is effectively being used to impose collective punishment on Gaza’s populace, a majority of whom are children and women.

Regional and Global Implications

The Israeli military has reported that ground troops carried out an incursion into Gaza, targeting numerous militant installations. They retreated without suffering casualties and conducted a similar operation in northern Gaza the previous day.

The U.S. Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, clarified that the recent U.S. military actions in eastern Syria were a response to “ongoing and largely ineffectual attacks” against American personnel in Iraq and Syria, and were unrelated to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas supported by Iran, has intermittently exchanged fire with Israel along the border. Israel has reciprocated by targeting Iran-affiliated groups in Syria. To deter further involvement by Iran and its allies, the United States has deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region, along with additional arms and troops.

In a separate development, Egypt’s military reported that a drone crashed in the Red Sea town of Taba, injuring six individuals. An unidentified object also struck near a power facility in the Red Sea town of Nuweiba.

Despite these regional escalations, ongoing efforts to send humanitarian aid into Gaza continue, albeit hampered by strict screening procedures insisted upon by Israel.

Reporting was contributed by correspondents in Tel Aviv, Beirut, the Gaza Strip, Cairo, Jerusalem, and London.

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More about Israel-Gaza Ground Offensive

• Israeli Defense Ministry Updates
• Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
• U.S. Military Involvement in the Middle East
• UNRWA Statements on Gaza
• Tunnel Networks in Gaza
• Regional Tensions in the Middle East
• Death Toll Statistics
• Ceasefire Calls from International Leaders