Israeli tanks roll into northern Gaza: IDF infantry enters Palestinian strip overnight in largest incursion of war to carry out ‘targeted attacks’ on ‘terrorist cells’ in preparation for full ground invasion against Hamas
Israeli forces, including tanks, invaded northern Gaza overnight in the biggest invasion of the war against Hamas yet, to carry out “targeted attacks” on “terrorist cells” ahead of a large-scale ground invasion.
In an indication that Israel was expanding attacks on Gaza that began this weekend, the army said ground forces attacked multiple targets in the Hamas-ruled enclave on Thursday before withdrawing.
The IDF said its tanks and infantry struck numerous terrorist cells, infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch points before returning to Israeli territory “as part of preparations for the next phases of the battle.”
Battle-hardened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas terrorists in a televised statement last night that they were “doomed” as he vowed to press ahead with a ground invasion.
Israeli tanks and troops are gathered at the Gaza border awaiting orders. Israel has called up 360,000 reservists. International pressure is growing to postpone any invasion of Gaza, not least because of hostages. More than half of the estimated 220 hostages Hamas is holding have foreign passports from 25 different countries, the Israeli government said. Many were believed to have dual Israeli citizenship.
Netanyahu said the fight against the Hamas killers who massacred about 1,500 Israeli civilians on October 7 was necessary to “save our country” and that the airstrikes on Gaza were just “the beginning.”
The IDF said tanks and infantry hit numerous terrorist cells, infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch points
Israeli airstrikes continue to bomb Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a press conference in Jerusalem
But questions remain over the exact timeframe after it was reported that the country postponed the ground attack to allow the US to rush missile defenses to the region.
Last night, Mr. Netanyahu said in a televised address: “We have set two main goals for this war: to eliminate Hamas by destroying its military and government capabilities, and to do everything in our power to bring our hostages home. All Hamas militants are doomed. Above the earth, underground, inside Gaza and outside Gaza.’
Hamas is believed to be holding approximately 222 hostages in Gaza, ranging in age from nine months to 85 years.
Mr. Netanyahu acknowledged that a “soul-search” would be needed into how the terrorist group was able to carry out the October 7 murderous attack without the knowledge of the country’s intelligence services.
But he said his role now was to lead Israel to “total victory” over its enemies. He added: “If we enter Gaza later in our struggle, we will receive the full price from the terrorists who committed these Hamas atrocities.”
More deadly attacks on Gaza on October 25, 2023
Satellite photo shows the Palestinian town of Beit Hanoun, in northern Gaza, on October 10
Netanyahu said the country’s special war cabinet had made the final decision on when armed forces would invade the blockaded Palestinian enclave. He said he “will not say” how and when the invasion would take place, nor how extensive it would be.
But last night it was suggested that the planned attack was being shelved at the request of the White House.
The Pentagon is trying to deploy nearly a dozen air defense systems to protect U.S. troops serving in the Middle East, including in Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Syria.
U.S. officials are said to be concerned that terrorist groups across the region could target U.S. troops once the incursion begins, the Wall Street Journal reported.
There have been at least thirteen drone and missile attacks in Iraq and Syria since October 18, injuring about twenty American soldiers. However, President Joe Biden denied the reports, telling reporters: “It’s their decision, but I didn’t ask for it.”
Israel is also weighing the need to provide humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, as well as diplomatic efforts to free more hostages from the clutches of Hamas. A large-scale ground attack threatens to further fuel geopolitical tensions in the region.
On Tuesday, a news agency with ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it was “likely” that Lebanon’s Tehran-backed Hezbollah group would become involved in the war with Israel. During a visit to Cairo yesterday, French President Emmanuel Macron said a “massive” ground invasion of Gaza would be a mistake. Instead, he suggested that the international coalition formed to fight terror group Isis should be revived to eradicate Hamas. Biden warned “there is no going back to the status quo that existed on October 6” between Israelis and Palestinians.
Biden, along with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, said he would “guarantee” Israel had “what it needs to defend itself against these terrorists.”
Last night, Netanyahu pledged to gain the international community’s support for the coming invasion. He said: ‘We are mobilizing the support of world leaders to continue this campaign and many of them today understand what we have been repeating since 2014: Hamas is Isis and Isis is Hamas.
“I tell them that our war against Hamas is also their war against Hamas… it is a battle between the axis of evil of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran and that of progress and freedom.”
According to the Syrian state news agency Sana, eight Syrian soldiers were killed yesterday by Israeli airstrikes in southwestern Syria. The Israeli military said its fighter jets hit Syrian army infrastructure and mortar launchers in what it described as a response to rocket launches from Syria towards Israel.