'IT Will Be Difficult': Anxious Wait For The Israeli Reservists

The mood among the Israeli troops preparing for combat across the border in Gaza was quiet and reflective as they faced brutal and bloody battles against an enemy ready and waiting. The overwhelming firepower of the Israeli military should ultimately prevail over Hamas. But the troops waiting to go in know that some of them will not return from the long and attritional campaign that lies ahead.

- KIM SENGUPTA

Many of the young men in this mustering point in the desert do not have the experience of past combat. They are reservists who have come from home and abroad, to serve following the carnage of the Hamas raid last weekend in which families were slaughtered and captives taken away.

These troops will have to learn fast or pay the price as they face situations they have not been exposed to before – facing around 40,000 Islamist fighters, some of whom, at least, will seek the martyrdom they have pledged in the defence of Gaza. Hamas had, it appears, planned their lethal mission for months, evading the supposedly forensic scrutiny of Israel’s military and intelligence services. They have also had months to plan their defence, with evidence emerging of mines and booby traps laid in the smashed buildings and elaborate network of tunnels under the territory.

The same tunnels can be used for ambushes, with fighters coming out of hidden openings. They are also likely to be placed where more than 150 Israeli hostages who were taken back to Gaza are being kept, making it hugely problematic to clear the underground passages.