Israel postpones ground offensive in Gaza due to bad weather

2023-10-15 14:10:00

Cohen said on Sunday in the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon: “Our victory will ensure that Islamist, radical terror does not come to Paris, London and New York.” Ashkelon has been repeatedly attacked with rockets by Hamas from the Gaza Strip for more than a week.

In view of the massacre of Israeli civilians in border towns and at a music festival, Cohen reiterated that Hamas is worse than the terrorist network Islamic State (IS). “They will pay the price,” he said. We will continue until the security of Israel’s citizens can be guaranteed.

The Israeli military says it has killed another mastermind of the massacres carried out among Israelis by Hamas attackers. Billal Al Kedra, commander of terrorist units in southern Khan Yunis, was killed in air strikes the evening before, the army said Sunday morning. Other terrorists from Hamas and the militant Palestinian group Islamic Jihad were also killed. According to the Ministry of Health there, 2,329 Palestinians have been killed and 9,714 injured in the Gaza Strip since the start of the latest conflict on October 7th.

Read on the topic:

Ground offensive postponed due to weather

According to a US media report, Israel’s military has postponed its planned invasion of the Gaza Strip by a few days due to adverse weather conditions. The ground offensive was actually supposed to begin this weekend, but was postponed because of cloudy skies and the resulting difficulty in visibility for pilots and drones, the New York Times reported, citing three unnamed senior Israeli officers.

According to a spokesman, the Israeli army is waiting for a “political decision” on the start of a large-scale ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. Before an Israeli invasion of the Palestinian territory, “talks with our political leadership” are necessary, army spokesman Richard Hecht said on Sunday.

The aim is to wipe out the political and military leadership of the Islamist organization Hamas, which carried out massacres in Israel a week ago that left hundreds dead. The military operation carries the risk of Israel becoming embroiled in months of bloody house-to-house fighting, the report says. Tens of thousands of Hamas fighters are believed to be holed up in bunkers and hundreds of kilometers of underground tunnel systems beneath Gaza City and surrounding parts of the northern Gaza Strip. Israel’s army assumes that Hamas will try to impede its progress by blowing up tunnels as ground forces advance above them. Hamas is also planning to get behind Israeli lines through secret tunnel exits and attack from behind. Another strategic dilemma is that the terrorists can hide themselves particularly effectively underground with hostages.

In addition to infantry units, Israel’s response force will also include tanks and engineers, the officers added, according to the newspaper. The ground troops would receive cover from fighter aircraft, attack helicopters, drones and artillery from both land and sea, it said. Israeli officials warn that Hamas could kill Israeli hostages and use civilians as human shields. They also littered the area with booby traps, the New York Times reported.

Video: ORF correspondent Tim Cupal on current developments in the Middle East

Iran and Hamas discussed strengthening their resistance against Israel. At their meeting in the Qatari capital Doha, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian and Hamas boss Ismail Haniya discussed ways to strengthen the “axis of resistance” against Israel, the Iranian state agency Irna reported on Sunday. This refers to an alliance of militant groups against the Jewish state. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Israel has been Iran’s archenemy. Tehran has expanded its political and military ties in the region since the 1990s.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he held a “very productive” meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. A spokesman for Blinken said the encounter lasted almost an hour. “The two reaffirmed their shared commitment to protecting civilians and promoting stability in the Middle East and beyond.” Blinken emphasized that the US wanted to stop Hamas attacks, ensure the release of all hostages and prevent the conflict from spreading.

Video: OÖN TV has with David Roet, the Israel’s designated ambassador to Austria, spoke:

Salman is the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia and one of the most influential and powerful politicians in the region. According to him, Saudi Arabia is working hard to prevent the Middle East conflict from spreading. Blinken is also expected in Egypt later today. The first stop on his Middle East trip was Israel on Thursday. He also visited Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Palestinian terrorists, acting on behalf of Hamas, carried out a massacre of Israeli civilians in border towns and at a music festival last weekend. More than 1,300 people were killed. Since then, Israel has responded with heavy air strikes on targets in the Gaza Strip.

Pope Francis called for the release of all hostages in the Gaza Strip. At the Angelus prayer on Sunday, he expressed concern and advocated the establishment of humanitarian corridors in Gaza. “A lot of people have already died. No more innocent blood should be shed, neither in the Middle East nor in Ukraine. No more wars, they are always a defeat,” said Francis.

You can follow the current developments in the live blog: