Since its announcement on Friday, Israel’s plan to capture Gaza City has been roundly criticized inside and outside Israel. Palestinians and foreign leaders say the plan will prolong the war and the suffering of Palestinian civilians. The Israeli left says it will likely endanger hostages still held by Hamas. The Israeli right says it will not do enough to defeat Hamas.
Now, a new criticism is emerging within Israel: There is little clarity over what exactly this operation will involve.
While there have been vague proclamations by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s military has yet to complete the tactical battle plan. There has been no public confirmation of how long any occupation of the city will last — or when it will begin, and how it will differ from Israel’s capture of Gaza City in the opening months of the war in 2023.
Intense Israeli strikes continued overnight into Monday, killing several Al Jazeera journalists and forcing the displacement of civilians in some Gaza City neighborhoods. But the Army has not yet mobilized the tens of thousands of military reservists who will most likely be needed to staff the broader operation. And while Israel has threatened to force out the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians still living in Gaza City, it has yet to order their expulsion.
Over the weekend, Mr. Netanyahu doubled down on the threat to capture Gaza City, saying at a press briefing that Israel had “no choice” but to proceed because Hamas had yet to surrender.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The post Days After Pledging a New Attack in Gaza, Israel’s Plan Is Still Unclear appeared first on New York Times.
