Gaza Conflict: Israel preparing for ground offensive against Hamas, says Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on television on Wednesday that Israel was getting ready to invade Gaza on foot, but he would not comment on the operation’s timeline or other specifics.

He stated that the government’s special war cabinet, which consists of the head of a moderate opposition party, would decide when to send in troops into the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave.

“We have already killed thousands of terrorists and this is only the beginning,” Netanyahu said.

“Simultaneously, we are preparing for a ground invasion. I will not elaborate on when, how or how many. I will also not elaborate on the various calculations we are making, which the public is mostly unaware of and that is how things should be.”

Following the approximately 1,400-person-death Hamas attack on Israeli communities on October 7, Israel has been bombarding the heavily populated Gaza Strip for several days.

The Wall Street Journal earlier claimed, citing American and Israeli officials, that Israel had consented to postpone the assault of Gaza in order for the US to quickly deploy missile defences in the area.

On Monday that Washington advised Israel to hold off on a ground assault and is keeping Qatar – a broker with the Palestinian militants – apprised of those talks as its tries to free more hostages and prepare for a possible wider regional war.

(With agency inputs)