Israel urged its citizens to arm themselves, while the US reportedly succeeded in persuading Israel to postpone its ground invasion of Gaza.
- The Israeli Prime Minister called on his citizens to arm themselves and prepare for a land invasion of Gaza.
- The US has persuaded Israel to delay the invasion until they have air defenses, according to the Wall Street Journal.
- Israel will also provide more emergency aid and further negotiate the release of hostages held by Hamas.
- There are also concerns about escalation in the Middle East.
On Wednesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they were still preparing for a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. In addition, he encouraged Israeli citizens to bear arms.
Israel has reportedly agreed to allow the US to deploy air defenses in the region ahead of a ground invasion of Gaza, Israeli and US officials said. Wall Street Journal.
The Pentagon is said to be eager to deploy nearly a dozen air defense systems, which are intended to protect US troops stationed in countries such as Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
So far, American officials have reportedly succeeded in persuading Israel to wait for a ground invasion until the air defense system is ready to deploy.
Postponing the ground invasion would also allow planning to continue importing emergency aid to Gaza, as well as further negotiations regarding the release of hostages held by Hamas, Israeli officials told the newspaper.
Calls for the protection of civilians
US President Joe Biden held a press conference shortly after Netanyahu’s remarks on Wednesday evening.
He said he did not believe the death toll given by Hamas.
The Palestinian health authority, which is ruled by Hamas, said early Wednesday that more than 750 people had been killed in the past 24 hours – including more than 300 children.
Biden urged Israel to protect civilians. He also advocated a two-state solution in the region.
Attacks in the Middle East
The US has sent several aircraft carriers to the Mediterranean due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, including the world’s largest warship USS “Gerald R. Ford”.
The goal is to deter Iran and other actors in the region who might become involved in a war between Israel and Hamas.
On the other hand, 13 drone and missile attacks on US and allied forces stationed in Iraq and Syria have been recorded in the past week, according to the Pentagon.
Iran-backed armed factions have claimed responsibility for daily attacks by US troops in Iraq and Syria since October 18, according to analysts at the think tank. Institute for War Studies.
Analysts believe this was done to prevent the US from providing significant military support to Israel.
Fear of new attacks
Also Financial times was told by officials that Israel was postponing a ground invasion until further notice, thereby giving the US time to deploy a defensive defense system.
However, these officials linked the decision directly to fears of attacks by Iran and Iranian-backed armed factions in the Middle East.
A top American official stated that they were concerned about developments in the Middle East, and that they had received indications that some factions in the region had a desire to worsen the situation.
Now analysts are weighing in ISW that Iran is arranging to blame the US and Israel for further escalation, if it occurs.
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