ISRAEL’S GROUND INVASION INTO GAZA IS STILL COMING, BY ALL ACCOUNTS, BUT NO ONE REALLY KNOWS WHEN EXACTLY THAT WILL BE. THE CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES SAYS HIS TROOPS ARE READY TO TAKE THEIR WAR WITH HAMAS TERRORISTS TO THE NEXT STAGE IN GAZA, BUT THERE ARE TACTICAL AND STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS DELAYING THE GROUND OFFENSIVE.

WHEN HAMAS TERRORISTS LAUNCHED THEIR SURPRISE ATTACKS ON OCTOBER 7TH, THE IDF AND ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE WERE CAUGHT COMPLETELY OFF GUARD. HAMAS KILLED MORE THAN 1400 PEOPLE AND KIDNAPPED MORE THAN 200. MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN. BY ANY MEASURE, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AN INTELLIGENCE AND OPERATIONAL FAILURE.

THE IDF NEEDS TO PREVENT ANOTHER SUCH DISASTER. SO, IT SAYS ITS DELAYING THE GROUND INVASION. THE DELAY MEANS THE IDF CAN KEEP STRIKING HAMAS TARGETS FROM THE AIR AND SEA, TRAIN ITS RESERVISTS, AND HOPEFULLY COLLECT VITAL INTELLIGENCE ABOUT WHERE THOSE HOSTAGES ARE BEING HELD.

HAMAS USES A VAST NETWORK OF UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TO MANEUVER TROOPS AND WEAPONS AROUND GAZA. THE TUNNELS ARE ALSO USED TO MAKE WEAPONS, STORE SUPPLIES, AND KEEP KIDNAPP VICTIMS. ABOVE GROUND, HAMAS LIKELY LAID TRAPS THROUGHOUT GAZA’S DENSELY POPULATED NEIGHBORHOODS. TRAPS WHICH ISRAELI FORCES WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH SOON ENOUGH.

HAMAS TERRORISTS ARE KNOWN TO OPERATE WITHIN THE CIVILIAN POPULATION, USING SITES LIKE SCHOOLS AND MOSQUES TO HIDE FROM ISRAELI FORCES. THE IDF SAYS ITS MISSION WILL BE TO LIMIT CIVILIAN CASUALTIES, BUT AS WITH ANY WAR, THERE WILL BE CIVILIAN CASUALTIES. IN GAZA, THOSE NUMBERS WILL LIKELY BE HIGH. IT’S WHY SENATOR LINDSAY GRAHAM CALLED FIGHTING THERE URBAN WARFARE ON STEROIDS.

THE UNITED STATES SENT SEVERAL MILITARY OFFICERS TO ISRAEL TO HELP ADVISE ON THE UPCOMING OPERATION. MARINE THREE STAR GENERAL JAMES GLYNN IS AMONG THOSE SENT. GENERAL GLYNN LEAD SPECIAL OPERATIONS AGAINST ISIS AND SERVED IN FALLUJAH, IRAQ; AN URBAN WARFARE ENVIRONMENT KNOWN FOR ITS FEROCITY. GLYNN AND HIS AMERICAN COLLEAGUES ARE IN ISRAEL STRICTLY TO OFFER ADVICE ACCORDING TO THE US AND ISRAELI GOVERNMENTS. NEITHER SIDE WANTS TO FEED INTO THE IRANIAN-BACKED NARRATIVE THE US CONTROLS ISRAEL.

IN ADDITION TO ALLOWING MORE TIME FOR TRAINING AND INTELLIGENCE GATHERING, DELAYING THE GAZA GROUND INVASION ALSO MEANS ISRAEL AND THE US HAVE TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE REGIONAL FALLOUT WHICH IS ALL BUT GUARANTEED TO HAPPEN. IRAN BACKS HEZBOLLAH TERRORISTS IN LEBANON, ALONG THE NORTHERN BORDER OF ISRAEL. THE IRANIAN REGIME IS ALSO CALLING IN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS TROOPS FROM SYRIA TO MASS NEAR THE GOLAN AREA, ALSO TO ISRAEL’S NORTH. SOURCES WITHIN THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SAID WHILE GAZA WILL BE THE INITIAL FOCUS OF GROUND OPERATIONS, A NORTHERN FRONT COULD QUICKLY TAKE ITS PLACE AS THE PRIMARY AREA OF OPERATION FOR THE IDF.

THE US IS ALSO POSITIONING MORE AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST TO PROTECT US ASSETS AND SOLDIERS. THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST HALF A DOZEN DRONE ATTACKS ON US MILITARY SITES IN THE REGION SINCE OCTOBER 7TH. THANKFULLY, ONLY ONE OF THOSE ATTACKS RESULTED IN MINOR INJURIES. THE US THINKS IRAN IS BEHIND THE STRIKES, USING ITS MANY PROXIES IN THE REGION.

FINALLY, DURING THE IDF’S DELAYED GROUND INVASION INTO GAZA, HAMAS TERRORISTS RELEASED FOUR HOSTAGES. WHILE NO ONE IS GOING ON THE RECORD, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CITED AN ANONYMOUS SOURCE IN THE US GOVERNMENT WHO SAID THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ASKED THE ISRAELIS TO DELAY THE GROUND ASSAULT IN ORDER TO BUY MORE TIME TO NEGOTIATE FOR THE RELEASE OF MORE HOSTAGES. ISRAEL’S PATIENCE WITH THOSE REQUESTS IS REPORTEDLY WEARING THIN.

BUT WHEN ASKED IF HE’D SUPPORT A CEASEFIRE-FOR-HOSTAGES DEAL, PRESIDENT BIDEN SAID THOSE HOSTAGES SHOULD BE RELEASED FIRST, AND THEN TALK ABOUT A CEASEFIRE COULD START.