The US, in addition to the two aircraft carriers, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Gerald R. Ford, which will be together in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel, is also mobilizing the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit with amphibious assault ships.
These are USS Bataan (LHD-5) and USS Carter Hall (LSD-50) with approximately 3,000 Marines.
The unit was recently ordered to halt the exercise in Kuwait and head to the Arabian Sea to " prepare for further operations as a result of emerging events".
Israeli Major General is sounding the alarm as he talks of an "Iranian trap" being set for the Israeli Army once the IDF ground operation in Gaza begins.
"If Israeli forces start a ground operation in the Gaza Strip, it will mean that the country will fall into the 'Iranian trap' and start acting according to the Iranian plan."
This assessment of the unfolding events was given by the former commander of the IDF Air Force, Major General David Ivry.
According to the military expert, Hamas attacks will force the Israel Defense Forces to respond with a ground invasion of Gaza.
But when Israeli troops bog down in a ground operation, Israel will be attacked from Lebanon and the West Bank. This will lead to more serious consequences.
Ivry believes that the Gaza Strip is not a significant threat to Israel at present. Palestinian forces operating there can be suppressed by airstrikes and through economic pressure.
But if the Israeli ground forces enter Gaza and "stuck" there for a long time, having suffered heavy losses, then a real threat to the country will be created on a completely different level.
The only viable option for a ground operation is the outright occupation of the Gaza Strip. But this will lead to a large number of casualties among the IDF troops.
Moreover, it is not clear how long it will take Israel to occupy this territory and what funds will be required for this.
Apparently, not all Israeli military experts support the prospect of a ground military operation in the Gaza Strip, fearing a greater escalation of the conflict and the involvement of other participants in it.
1 comment:
History shows urban fighting. extremely difficult. House to house, booby traps, snipers, etc. In addition the parallels to Tet Offensive stark. The US focused on Khe Sanh to the north and the Viet Cong hit us south in Saigon and occupied the US embassy necessitating a change in American leadership. Israel focused on Gaza to the south and soon struck mightily from the north necessitating a change in Israeli leadership.
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