Israel postponed ground operations the first and second week of the war.
As Israel carried out a large round of airstrikes in Gaza on Friday night, with the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Jordan accused Israel of starting a “ground war on Gaza,” there will be many questions about how Israel has conducted the campaign so far. The war that Israel has been fighting in Gaza is different than previous wars, but it also has some commonalities with the past.
Here is what we know. Friday night has seen a plethora of reports of increased fighting in Gaza. This has included Palestinian reports of clashes with Israeli tanks and forces near Bureij, Jabaliyeh and Beit Hanoun. As with all war, and particularly when forces move at night, these details are hard to confirm. However, those along the border say the level of airstrikes was very large on October 27.
How did Israel get here? On October 7, Hamas launched a massive attack on Israel, killing 1,400 people. It took most of October 7 to understand how massive the attack was. Hamas had attacked at 29 points on the border. They attacked many of the 20 kibbutzim and communities along the border. Some were subjected to brutal terrorist acts, such as Beeri, Kfar Aza, Nahal Oz and others.
In some cases such as at Nir Am, Erez and elsewhere, the local security was able to stop the terrorists. It took more than 24 hours to rescue some of the Israelis stuck in their safe rooms. Israel was in shock. Reservists were called up
By the second day Israel was calling up 300,000 reservists. Many bases were crowded with cars. Many units saw a huge outpouring of people running to join. Israel has termed this a “war for our house,” and the Defense Minister reiterated these feelings on Thursday, October 26. He termed this a war that will define the next 75 years. He said it is either us or them, meaning Hamas must be defeated. Smoke rises over Gaza, as seen from Israel’s maritime border with Gaza in southern Israel October 27, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)
Hamas also kidnapped 224 people held hostage in Gaza, and has only released 4 people. Israel is still trying to identify kidnapped and missing people and the bodies of the fallen.
