Will Israeli raids into Gaza lead to a ground invasion?

Israeli troops carried out “localised raids” in Gaza on Friday (13 October), further stoking speculations of an expected ground invasion. “Around the Gaza Strip, Israeli reserve soldiers in formation are getting ready for the next stage of operations,” Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said early today (14 October), as per Evening Standard.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also extended the deadline for 1.1 million civilians living in northern Gaza to leave and said they will have two safe routes between 10am and 4pm local time to move south, reported Sky News.
The United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) have denounced Israel’s mass evacuation order for the Palestinians, with the health agency terming it a “human tragedy.” Thousands of Gazans are reported to have already fled on foot, carts or vehicles after Israel’s warning.

As the Israeli military’s ground invasion of Gaza seems imminent, let’s look at why it conducted “localised raids”.

Israel raids Gaza

Israeli troops backed by tanks entered the Gaza Strip on Friday to find missing hostages and flush out Hamas terrorists, The Times of Israel reported citing the military.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said infantry forces carried out searches and “thwarted anti-tank guided missile squads that intended to infiltrate into Israeli territory.”

“The forces located findings that may help in the effort to locate the missing,” he said. “We will continue to make every effort to find every detail about the missing and hostages”.

According to the IDF, over 120 civilians, including non-Israelis, are being held captive in the narrow enclave by the Palestinian militant group.

BBC‘s Middle East correspondent Tom Bateman told Radio 4’s Today programme that this is the first time the IDF has shared an update about the activities of its troops, which as per him appears to confirm that they were sent into Gaza “to try and destroy rocket-launching squads”.

A report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz claimed that IDF spokesman Hagari said the army was able to “retrieve the bodies of several Israelis who have been missing since Hamas’ surprise attack on Saturday and notify their families”.

However, the IDF has dismissed the media reports that it recovered the bodies of hostages. “This claim is not accurate. We possess no information regarding this matter,” Spokesman Lt Col Richard Hecht was quoted as saying by BBC.

The Israeli military said today that it “eliminated” Hamas commander Ali Qadi, who led the last Saturday (7 October) attack on the West Asian nation. It said he was killed in a drone strike under the intelligence guidance of the country’s Shin Bet security agency and Military Intelligence Directorate.

ALSO READ: What will happen if Israel invades Gaza?

Toll of the Israel-Hamas war

At least 2,215 people have died and 8,714 others wounded so far in the nearly weeklong retaliatory airstrikes by Israel in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Hamas said in a statement that the killing of Palestinians in Israeli air raids is “a heinous crime that will only increase our people’s adherence to their land”, reported Al Jazeera.

Calling it a “massacre” by Israeli forces, the militant group reportedly said, “this war will not succeed in breaking the will of our people who stand united with their resistance, rejecting all forms of displacement from their land”.

According to Israel, over 1,300 people, including soldiers, were killed and 3,400 injured after Hamas’ last week’s surprise attack. Currently, 355 wounded people are in Israeli hospitals, out of which 95 are in serious condition, The Guardian reported citing Israeli public radio.

Meanwhile, Gaza, a densely packed area with a population of 2.3 million, is running out of medical supplies and fuel to power hospitals. The blockaded enclave’s only fuel plant shut down days back after Israel’s “complete siege” cut off water, fuel and food.

The UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said millions of people in Gaza are “at risk as water runs out”.
“It has become a matter of life and death. It is a must; fuel needs to be delivered now into Gaza to make water available for 2 million people,” Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA commissioner-general said in a statement, as per Al Jazeera.

“Clean water is running out in Gaza, after its water plant and public water networks stopped working. People are now forced to use dirty water from wells, increasing risks of waterborne diseases,” the statement said.

The situation for Gazan civilians is dire and may turn into a humanitarian crisis. The recent raids and orders to evacuate are being seen as a precursor to Israel’s ground invasion of the enclave. The Israeli military has stationed troops, including some of its 300,000 reservists, and tanks near its border with Gaza.

Experts fear the war between Israel and Hamas, which would bring more death and destruction, could have a spillover effect and result in a wider regional conflict.

Only time will tell the real cost of the war in West Asia.

With inputs from agencies