When the ground attack comes: Israelis fear they will have to pay a “high price”.

When the ground attack comes
Israelis fear they will pay a “high price”.

From Tal leder, Metulla
October 21, 2023, 7:11 pm

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Many Israelis expect the military to launch a ground offensive against Hamas. Says an ex-soldier who has dabbled in urban warfare: “I fear the worst is yet to come.” A former general warns against the occupation of the Gaza Strip.

In June 1982, Israeli forces invaded Lebanon and put an end to cross-border terrorist attacks. Although the peace process for Galilee drove out the Palestine Liberation Organization, the war led to a protracted conflict and, above all, highlighted the dangers of a ground attack. Israel did not withdraw again until May 2000. During the last few armed conflicts, the country has been very hesitant when it comes to ground attacks. Both the Second Lebanon War in 2006 and the Gaza War in 2014 were fought with heavy casualties.

“This time the situation is different,” said Avi Sasson, a former tour guide from Metulla, near the Lebanese border. “Israel will take decisive action against Hamas.” We will pay more. A two-front war is imminent and dangerous.” The 66-year-old fought as an infantryman in Lebanon 30 years ago and fought door-to-door in Beirut’s densely populated urban areas. As a civilian, he protested for withdrawal from Cedar State.

“You can’t defeat the enemy from the air,” he explains. He anticipates a ground attack: “While hunting Hamas with civilians, Israeli forces will face a hell of densely packed buildings, tunnels and tunnels. It’s a dangerous situation that will cause enormous human suffering and draw in other countries. That. I fear the worst is yet to come.”

Many Israelis believe the upcoming actions will be the most important in Israel’s history. Possible objectives include destroying all remaining Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad rockets, as well as all their tunnels, ammunition depots, weapons workshops and command infrastructure. To make this possible, the armed forces must this time occupy the entire Gaza Strip and kill or capture as many terrorists or their leaders as possible. Above all, they must release the hostages alive.

Former general wants to exchange prisoners

Yitzhak Brig, a former general and military ombudsman, spoke on Israeli Channel 12 on Thursday in favor of a prisoner exchange to save the hostages’ lives. “We still have a chance to get them alive. Israel must release the 6,000 terrorists demanded by Hamas in prisons in Gaza. They are better off living in their tunnels than in our prisons. If they are actively involved in terrorism, they can be a legitimate target.”

A security expert explains the difficulty of eradicating a movement with such a critical base as Hamas. To avoid civilian casualties, Israel should not hastily launch a ground offensive, but first dry up Hamas’ logistics. “Terrorists knew Israel would invade and prepared for a guerilla war.” While Brig calls for the overthrow of Hamas, he warns against reoccupying the coastal region. “Cleaning up protected sites can be costly,” he says. “The presence of the Israeli army in some areas – camps and border crossings – will create another problem. Soldiers will become prime targets for terrorists hiding among the civilian population.”

Experts expect it to be not just an invasion of the Gaza Strip, but a clash with Hezbollah in the north. There is also the risk of regional conflict extending beyond the Middle East. This may be part of Iran’s encirclement strategy. Shiite allies in Iraq and Yemen, backed by Tehran, have warned that US targets in the region could be attacked if the US intervenes directly in Gaza. Already on Thursday, pro-Iranian fighters fired rockets at Israel from Yemen. An American warship intercepted them in the Red Sea.

“Tehran relies on its proxies”

“Direct Iranian military intervention is unlikely,” says Ras Zimd of the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. “Tehran relies on its proxies, although it has recently shown a willingness to launch direct offensive operations against Israel from Syria.”

According to the Middle East expert, Jerusalem may use the current situation to reshape the situation in Gaza and Lebanon to launch a pre-emptive strike against Hezbollah. This would put Iran in a dilemma, as Tehran’s renunciation of active participation would allow Israel to attack Hamas. “The mullahs’ regime is facing a dilemma,” says Zimt. “Hezbollah’s entry into an all-out war with Israel could threaten the capabilities of its most important strategic ally. “The longer and harder the conflict becomes, the more likely it is that Tehran will make a decision that leads to further territorial expansion.”

Iran’s shadow war with Israel has already entered a new phase. Tehran, through its proxies such as Hezbollah, attacked the Jewish state. It has put the Palestinian issue back on the international agenda and derailed normalization efforts between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

“Jewish people fight for their survival”

“It could be a long conflict,” believes Avi Sasson from Metulla in northern Israel. “A ground attack is imminent. Of course, ordinary people must be protected, but are NATO countries interested in Russian citizens by supplying weapons to Ukraine?”

The former tour guide fears that Israel may be forced to take direct action against Iran. Its nuclear ambitions are a threat to the Jewish state. “Iran’s state doctrine includes the destruction of Israel,” says Sasson. “The Jewish people are fighting for their survival. This will be our new war of independence.”