Residents have been given until midday Friday, Oct. 20, to evacuate northern Gaza, but indications are rife that the invasion is not yet imminent. One of the factors causing the delay is the Hezbollah threat.
Sources told the Jerusalem Post that there has been a growing concern that Hezbollah forces are waiting for the moment when most Israeli ground forces are committed in Gaza before making their move in the north.
It is believed that Hezbollah's refusal to engage at the start of the war on Saturday morning is part of a ploy to lure the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) into a false sense of security, just like what Hamas did. Hezbollah limited its response through rocket attacks.
This time, Israeli intelligence, humbled by Hamas' surprise attack that killed thousands of innocent civilians, is not taking chances concerning enemy intentions.
The invasion is inevitable, but there would be a delay as Israelis double-check Hezbollah and reinforce their northern forces, just in case. The IDF has not been in a major conflict in decades and rushing in unprepared to satisfy the public's thirst for retribution could be a big mistake.
The Israelis cannot afford to be overconfident about waging a large ground invasion. What they can achieve at least is a tactical surprise against Hamas.
Other factors that are causing the delay could be the U.S.'s pressure to avoid civilian casualties, the fates of Israeli hostages in Gaza, and the timetable for the evacuation of Palestinians.
Currently, Israel has the full support of most countries.
The airstrikes have claimed the lives of at least 2,000 Palestinians in Gaza, and many more were injured. The number is expected to rise once the invasion gets underway. Israel will be under extreme pressure from the U.S. and the world to stop hostilities.
In 2014, 2,000 Palestinians died, at least half were civilians, despite IDF's attempts to avoid civilian casualties.
After toppling Hamas' rule, Israel has not yet decided what to do, according to the Jerusalem Post. Only after the war can Israel show whether it has crafted smarter and more effective invasion and post-invasion plans.
Report: Gaza hospital bombed, hundreds killed
Meanwhile, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that an Israeli airstrike hit a hospital in central Gaza, leaving at least 500 dead.
The NBC reported that Palestinian Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf Al Qudra said there were about 500 victims, including between 200 to 300 killed.
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagaru said the reports of an airstrike against a Gaza hospital are still being investigated. "There are a lot of airstrikes, a lot of failed rockets, and a lot of fake reports by Hamas," Hagari told the Times of Israel.
U.S. President Joe Biden was saddened by the explosion at the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza. "The United States stands unequivocally for the protection of civilian life during conflict and we mourn the patients, medical staff, and other innocents killed or wounded in this tragedy," said Biden who left for Israel. (Related: Biden's $6 billion ransom payment to Iran motivates Hamas to take more American hostages.)
On Wednesday, Oct. 18, the United Nations Security Council will vote on a Brazilian-drafted resolution calling for humanitarian pauses in the ongoing conflict to allow humanitarian aid access to the Gaza Strip.
At the request of the U.A.E. and Russia, the council will also tackle the Gaza hospital blast.
Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour blamed Israel for the "massacre" at the hospital as he called for a ceasefire. Israel envoy Gilad Erdan, on the other hand, accused the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group of responsibility.
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