International Center/Reported by Xiao Youchen
▲ Foreign media believe that Israel’s invasion may encounter many obstacles. (Picture/reproduced from the Israel Defense Forces website)
The Israel Defense Forces has a standing force of 170,000 troops, and now it has recruited 300,000 reservists to gather on the Gaza border in preparation for an attack on Hamas. On the other hand, Hamas only has about 30,000 fighters, only one-tenth of the Israeli army. Hamas has no air power and no tanks that can cooperate with infantry. However, some foreign media believe that Hamas has already prepared that even if Israel has an absolute advantage, it may pay a high price.
Dan Sabbagh, defense and security editor of the British media “The Guardian”, pointed out that after Hamas launched the attack on the 7th, Israel discovered many tunnels crossing the border, some of which are as deep as 70 meters. Therefore, he believes that Hamas has already prepared for an Israeli invasion, building a complex network of tunnels in Gaza over the years to protect its troops from air strikes.
Sabbagh pointed out that if Israel controls the entrance and exit of the tunnel, Hamas can also lay landmines to prevent Israeli troops from going deeper. In addition, Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, and the terrain of complex cities and buildings is conducive to defense. The army counterattacked, severely hindering Israel’s clearance operations. Moreover, the ground invasion will surely trigger a bloody storm. As more and more Palestinian civilians are affected or besieged, international political support for Israel may decline.
Sabbagh also said that after Israel captures northern Gaza, it will become inevitable to continue advancing southward, otherwise the offensive may end up being in vain, because Hamas can only be eliminated with complete occupation. This is also the reason why the US military has been fighting in Afghanistan for 20 years.
Since Hamas attacked Israel on the 7th, according to the latest official Israeli statistics, at least 1,300 people have been killed, 3,400 injured, and another 100 to 150 people have been taken captive to Gaza. In successive days of Israeli retaliatory air strikes, at least 2,329 Palestinians were killed and more than 9,714 injured in Gaza; 53 people were killed and more than 1,100 injured in the West Bank.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that more than 400,000 Palestinians have been displaced under Israel’s comprehensive siege.
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2023-10-15 10:18:00
