An IDF ground operation in the Gaza Strip was planned for this weekend but was postponed due to poor conditions. weather which made it difficult for Israeli pilots and drone operators providing support to ground forces, The New York Times writes, citing sources in the Israel Defense Forces.
However, as the publication reports, preparations for the operation are underway. During it, tens of thousands of soldiers will be ordered to seize Gaza and destroy its current political and military leadership from the Hamas group.
It is noted that the operation can last months, because the the battles will have to be fought in dense urban areas, the ground under which is dotted with tunnels used by militants. The Gaza Strip itself is a densely populated urban area, home to more than two million people.
Israel declared itself at war following the October 7 attack by Hamas terrorists, who entered the Jewish state and killed more than 1,300 Israelis. Since then, the Israel Defense Forces have been firing rockets and bombs at militant infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, which is often located under and in residential buildings.