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Israel’s prime minister, defense minister and army chief insisted Monday that they were working in “close and comprehensive cooperation” as signs of discord mounted as the war with Hamas progressed.
Israel has been bombing Gaza since Hamas militants carried out the deadliest attack ever on the country on October 7. But despite repeated indications from ministers that a ground operation in the enclave was imminent, no such operation has yet begun 17 days after the start of the war.
To counter reports of disputes over invasion plans between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense minister Yoav Gallant and chief of staff Herzi Halevi, the three men’s offices said there was “complete and mutual trust and clear common intent” between them.
But despite the expressions of unity, there were signs of disagreement within Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition over the conduct of the war. His far-right ally, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, called on Monday for an expansion of the war cabinet and accused Netanyahu and his other members of misunderstanding Hamas in the run-up to the Oct. 7 attack.
Israeli officials said more than 1,400 people were killed and more than 5,400 injured in the Hamas attack. According to Palestinian officials, the Israeli bombardment of Gaza has killed 5,087 people and injured 15,273, while Israel’s siege of the impoverished enclave has worsened already dire humanitarian conditions there.
Senior Israeli military officials have publicly reiterated in recent days that their forces have completed all preparations for a ground operation and are simply awaiting government orders.
But diplomats and people familiar with Israeli thinking said a variety of factors were delaying the ground invasion, ranging from military preparation to concerns about what a ground operation would mean for the 222 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and whether it would cause Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia in southern Lebanon, to fully enter the war.
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“After so many years of engaging in routine security missions in the West Bank, the [Israel Defense Forces] need time to dust off, train, [and] to complete their equipment supply,” said a person familiar with Israeli thinking. The occupied West Bank has seen a surge in violence over the past 18 months, with Israeli forces carrying out almost nightly raids in the area following a series of attacks by Palestinians on Israelis last year.
Government officials said Israel’s goal was to destroy Hamas and drive it out of Gaza, which the militant group controls. But diplomats say such an operation would be extremely complicated and require months of fighting, and that the scale of this target would also affect the speed of Israeli planning. “If the war lasts long, they have to find a way to limit Israeli losses,” one diplomat said.
In 2006, Israel launched a rapid ground operation in Lebanon amid talk of “destroying” Hezbollah. But the months-long conflict, waged by an Israeli military ill-equipped and trained after several years fighting Palestinian militants in the West Bank, ended inconclusively.
“These are also the lessons of the Lebanon war,” said the person familiar with Israeli thinking. “The IDF’s performance must be maintained despite public pressure after things inevitably become difficult. It’s better to take your time.”
Officials are also weighing the risk that Hezbollah itself, much better armed and more dangerous than it was in 2006, would enter the conflict from Lebanon once an Israeli ground assault on Gaza begins. Such a verdict is complicated by the Israeli state’s misinterpretation of Hamas’s intentions before its attacks earlier this month.
There are also concerns about whether a ground invasion would frustrate any further attempts to release the hostages still in Gaza. Hamas released two U.S. hostages last week, the first such move since the crisis began, and officials hope more releases may still be possible.
“The various countries involved in the negotiations, including the US, believe that in the event of a land invasion it will be almost impossible to get the hostages out. The US reported this to Israel. Any escalation that occurs will slow it down. Both Israel and Hamas must stop the escalation,” said a person briefed on the negotiations.
Although the US continues to support Israel’s right to defend itself and respond to Hamas attacks, including through a ground invasion of Gaza, President Joe Biden and senior officials in Washington are also increasingly calling on the Netanyahu government to intervene in carrying out such attacks Attacks to be careful operation.
The U.S. fears that if Israel moves too quickly and aggressively, it risks expanding the conflict, increasing civilian casualties, jeopardizing humanitarian relief efforts and efforts to release U.S. hostages and allow others to leave Stop US citizens from Gaza.
“We have spoken to the Israelis about what they are planning. We give them our best advice. As I said, it is not only important what they do, but also how they do it, especially when it comes to ensuring that civilians are protected as much as possible in this crossfire caused by Hamas,” Antony said Blinken, US secretary of state, told CBS on Sunday.