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Ground offensive What are Israel's aims as urban battle begins and what are the risks?
The Guardian|November 01, 2023
Israel's ground invasion of the northern Gaza Strip began on Friday evening, an urban warfare operation that is likely to be lengthy, fraught with danger for its military and Palestinian civilians and whose ultimate goals remain uncertain
- Dan Sabbagh
Ground offensive What are Israel's aims as urban battle begins and what are the risks?
 

It began almost three weeks after Hamas's brutal cross-border attack of 7 October, in which more than 1,400 Israelis were killed. Israeli forces have fired more than 8,000 munitions into Gaza, according to its military, in an attempt to soften up Hamas resistance, but which has also led to thousands of casualties, including dozens at the Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the strip that was hit yesterday.

Video and pictures released by the Israel Defence Forces yesterday showed soldiers and tanks entering a shattered urban terrain, with the IDF and Hamas describing fighting fierce battles, although these are likely to be only initial skirmishes for strategic position.

Verifiable information is hard to come by, but the limited evidence emerging from the combat zone suggests that the IDF is seeking to encircle Gaza City, likely as a prelude to attempting to capture it.

Tanks were filmed having advanced to cut off the main northsouth Salah al-Din road south of Gaza City on Monday, although subsequent reports suggested the road had reopened, potentially to allow a porous encirclement where fighters and civilians are allowed to escape a looming siege, in theory making it easier for the attackers.

This story is from the November 01, 2023 edition of The Guardian.

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This story is from the November 01, 2023 edition of The Guardian.

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