US and allies urge Israel to set out clear goals for Gaza ground invasion

The US and its allies have been urging Israel to be strategic and clearly define its objectives in the event of a ground invasion of Gaza. They are emphasizing the need to avoid a prolonged occupation and minimize civilian casualties. 

In private discussions with Israeli counterparts, Western defense officials have not discouraged Israel from using ground forces but have stressed the importance of having well-defined goals to degrade Hamas without a long-term occupation.
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President Joe Biden and NATO defense ministers have expressed similar sentiments, respecting Israel's right to target Hamas while urging a strategic approach. Israel has acknowledged these discussions and is taking steps to address humanitarian concerns, placing blame on Hamas for using civilians as shields.

Hamas is also reportedly holding more than 200 hostages, who could be at risk if Israel were to launch an invasion. The group released two American hostages, a mother and her daughter, on Friday.

U.S. officials currently lack a clear understanding of Israel's intentions in Gaza and believe that completely eradicating Hamas may prove to be a challenging task.

Publicly, Israeli officials have outlined their plans in general terms, with the stated goal of eliminating Hamas and its infrastructure.

Israel Defense Forces Chief of the General Staff, Herzi Halevi, stated on Sunday, as reported by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, "Our responsibility now is to enter Gaza, target the locations where Hamas organizes, operates, plans, and launches, to strike them severely across the board, targeting every commander, operative, and infrastructure."

In 2014, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to weaken Hamas with the last ground invasion into Gaza. While that conflict inflicted significant damage on Hamas, it was a formidable challenge, and Israel has not attempted another ground incursion since then.

There is also growing concern that a ground invasion could exacerbate tensions in the region, particularly after a hospital explosion in Gaza, which both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of causing. The U.S. has assessed that Israel was not responsible but has yet to definitively identify the responsible party.

Protests have erupted across the Arab world in response to the hospital explosion, and a large-scale and seemingly indiscriminate Israeli ground incursion into Gaza could further contribute to unrest, as per statements from U.S. and Middle Eastern officials to CNN.

US troops in Iraq and Syria have recently faced multiple attacks involving drones and rockets targeting coalition bases. The Iranian-backed militant group, Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, has threatened further action if Israeli forces enter Gaza.
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One source familiar with US intelligence emphasized the importance of information warfare. US officials are concerned that a significant military assault on Gaza could potentially draw Hezbollah or Iran into the conflict. However, as of now, neither Tehran nor Hezbollah seem particularly eager to directly intervene. The concern is that if there are widespread images of Palestinians suffering due to an Israeli assault, the domestic politics in Iran and Lebanon could shift.

A senior US official noted that one of the benefits of President Biden's recent trip to Israel was that it bought some time regarding the possibility of an Israeli ground incursion. It was generally understood that Israel would not escalate in Gaza while Biden was visiting.

The longer Israel postpones such a military operation, the better it allows for more strategic planning and a less emotionally charged response to the situation. Jonathan Panikoff, a former senior intelligence analyst, mentioned that while President Biden's trip may not have been to prevent a full-scale invasion, it aimed to show clear support and understand Israel's post-invasion strategy, particularly for governance in the Gaza Strip. We kindly request you to disseminate this news and provide your insights in the comments section. Thank you

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