Military build-up near Gaza as Israel prepares for ground offensive

The Israeli military had stationed its personnel and tanks near the Gaza border as they prepared for a full ground offensive against Hamas. In the pictures coming in from the Gaza border, tanks can be seen firing shells towards the Gaza Strip. Moreover, soldiers are seen loading artillery shells into howitzers. Israel’s military has long been supported by the United States, with $3.3 billion in congressionally mandated annual funding, plus another $500 million toward missile defence technology. Israel is one of the best-armed nations in the wider Middle East. Its air force includes the advanced American F-35 fighter jet, missile defence batteries including the American-made Patriot, and the Iron Dome missile defense system. Israel has armoured personnel carriers and tanks, and a fleet of drones and other technology available to support any street-to-street battles. Israel trains soldiers on such techniques at its Urban Warfare Training Center, known colloquially as “Mini Gaza.” Israel has some 170,000 troops typically on active duty and has called up some 360,000 reservists for the war — three-fourths of its estimated capacity, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Adding to this, Israeli infantry troops have been moving closer to the Gaza border in anticipation of a full ground offensive on Hamas. Earlier in the day, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) asked residents of the Northern Gaza Strip to relocate to the southern part of the enclave using evacuation corridors between 10 am to 4 pm (local time), The Times of Israel reported. The Israeli military said, “If you care about yourself and your loved ones, go south as instructed.” It said, “Rest assured that Hamas leaders have taken care of themselves and are taking cover from strikes in the region.“Their message indicated that the IDF could be readying to launch a ground invasion in response to Hamas’s attack on October 7. However, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Israel to “reconsider” its warning, calling it “dangerous and deeply troubling,” according to The New York Times.Guterres in an opinion article in The New York Times emphasized that such demand for a mass evacuation on extremely short notice could have devastating humanitarian consequences. The IDF has confirmed that over 120 civilians are being held captive in Gaza by the Hamas terrorist organization. Israeli Defence Forces on Saturday said 1300 people have lost their lives and over 3000 have been injured in the Hamas terror attacks on Israel. The Israeli Air Force has said that the IDF continues the effort to move the residents of the Gaza Strip in order to protect them in the Gaza Strip. The IDF said a call was sent out to residents of Gaza using a variety of different means in an attempt to minimize the harm to non-combatants. IDF said Hamas terrorists are hiding in terror tunnels located under the houses in Gaza City and in civilian buildings. The Israel Defence Forces said infantry forces and tanks entered the Gaza Strip on Friday in “localized raids” to clear the area of potential terrorists and locate missing citizens of Israel in a likely precursor to a full-scale incursion in response to Hamas’s attack, The Times of Israel reported.