Though Israel’s massive ground invasion of Gaza appears to be in a holding pattern, its forces staged another limited incursion there, Israeli and Hamas officials both say. The two sides, however, disputed the extent and success of that operation.
"During the night there were raids by tank and infantry forces,” Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said on national television Monday, according to Reuters. "These raids are raids that kill squads of terrorists who are preparing for the next stage in the war," he said, describing incursions that went "deep" into Gaza. "These raids also locate and search for anything we can get in terms of intelligence on the missing and the hostages."
Hagari added that such interventions helped understand where "the terrorists are assembling, the terrorists are getting organized in anticipation of the next stages of the war. And our role is to reduce these threats."
Hamas said it repelled the limited incursion, destroying several Israeli vehicles.
“Al-Qassam Mujahideen put a Zionist armored force in a tight ambush east of Khan Yunis after crossing the fleeting fence for several meters,” Hamas said Sunday on its Telegram channel. “The Mujahideen clashed with the infiltrating force, destroying two bulldozers and a tank, forcing the force to withdraw and return to their bases safely.”
The Israeli probing operation came as there are reports that Israel has agreed to a U.S. request to delay the full-on Gaza invasion. However, it remains unclear whether Israel has agreed to that request, though the ground invasion has yet to happen.
“Israel agreed to the US request to delay ground entry into the Gaza Strip until more American forces are sent to the area,” the Israeli GLZ Radio reported Monday. The War Zonecould not independently verify that claim.
The New York Times reported Sunday that the U.S. advised Israel to delay a ground invasion, but no final decision had been reached. Though still supporting a ground invasion, the Biden administration is asking, not demanding, Israel hold off to “buy time for hostage negotiations and to allow more humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians in the sealed-off enclave,” The New York Times reported, citing “several U.S. officials.”
Hagari on Monday said that Hamas is holding at least 222 hostages. You can read more about the challenges Israel will face in any hostage rescue attempt here.
The Biden administration recently sent a Marine three-star general and several other U.S. military officers to Israel to help advise the Israeli military's leadership in its operation in Gaza, Axios reported Monday, citing "two U.S. officials and two Israeli officials briefed on the issue."
"The Marine Corps officers sent include Lt. Gen. James Glynn, according to a senior Israeli official. Glynn previously headed the Marines' special operations and was involved in the operations against ISIS in Iraq," Axios reported. They are not directing operating, but they are providing military advice and shared lessons learned from the fight against ISIS in Mosul, a very difficult urban battle.
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