Numerous reports from both mainstream and independent sources confirm that Israel has positioned multiple fleets of tanks and other weaponry on the northern border of Gaza in the past 24 hours in what appears to be preparation for an imminent ground offensive. The tanks are reportedly outfitted with modifications to help counter low-cost but effective rocket and drone attacks.
Satellite imagery shows where Israel has deployed hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles to two fields north of Gaza, in preparation for a potential ground invasion. The New York Times is mapping developments. https://t.co/yO3VBV6HCV pic.twitter.com/crAzlVakZj
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 19, 2023
The delay of what many thought would be a swift ground invasion by Israel in response to the terror attacks on civilian settlements in the south may have been due to Joe Biden's recent visit with Benjamin Netanyahu, in which Biden admitted in passing that "Americans are worried." Though, in his mumbling he did not accurately convey why.
With the immense potential for regional escalation the war could very well expand to Lebanon, Iran, Syria and a host of other nations, and draw American troops into a conflict that has nothing to do with the interests of the American public.
The position of the weaponry indicates a north to south sweep of Gaza might be the intended tactic. A wide cast net using ground units to roll like a wave through the area is what some in the strategic community would call "mowing the grass," as it will surely make contact with and kill numerous Hamas fighters, but also could lead to a number of civilian casualties. The implication being that the problem will only "grow back" in a few years time.
This theory depends on the assumption, though, that the Israeli government intends to allow Palestinian settlements to remain in Gaza. There is the chance that the goal will be the complete removal of all Palestinian presence, creating a historic refugee crisis (which will probably be dumped in the lap of the American public). This may be why so many political representatives in the US have been laying the PR groundwork for the possible importation of millions of Palestinians in the past week.
Some skeptics argue that the positioning of forces in the north is a ploy by Israel and that there will be no ground attack in the near term. However, more Israeli tanks have also been identified being transported toward the Jordanian border in the past day.
Tanks spotted in their way to the Jordanian-Israeli border. It appears Israel is taking the threats from pro-Iranian militias on the eastern front seriously. pic.twitter.com/Iwr0N5qlF7
— Shaiel Ben-Ephraim (@academic_la) October 19, 2023
This may be part of a multiprong offensive, or merely a defensive measure to prevent a response from troops moving though Lebanon or Syria towards the Jordanian border while the attack on Gaza commences. Mass rallies in favor of Palestinians and Hamas have been common in Jordan ever since Hamas fighters attacked Israel.
It would seem that a wider war in the Middle East may now be unavoidable.
