Israel Reshuffles Forces, Prepares for Long-Term Conflict in Gaza
TEL AVIV—Israel began preparations for prolonged fighting in the Gaza Strip, reshuffling forces as it weighs how to sustain lower-intensity fighting over the long term, and Israel’s top general said that it would take at least several more months to destroy Hamas’s military capabilities in the enclave.
On Monday, Israel said it would adjust its ground-force composition in Gaza, with plans to rotate five brigades—estimated to be thousands of troops—out of the Gaza Strip this week, some of which might be replaced. The military has also recalibrated the types of troops required, now relying more heavily on commando and combat-engineering forces, as Israel increasingly tries to penetrate subterranean tunnel infrastructure and hunt down senior Hamas leadership.
“These adaptations are designed to ensure planning and preparation for 2024,” Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military’s chief spokesperson, said Sunday night. “The war’s goals require prolonged fighting, and we are preparing accordingly.”
The prospect of prolonged fighting in Gaza comes amid friction between Israel and the U.S., its main ally, which has been pushing the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to begin winding down a war that has devastated the enclave and killed thousands.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/israel-reshuffles-forces-prepares-for-long-term-conflict-in-gaza/ar-AA1mjx7f
