If ground invasion comes, combat in Gaza’s cities will be a bloody grind

Three weeks into Israel’s campaign to destroy Hamas, most IDF ground forces continue to sit on the Gaza border, making do with relatively limited overnight raids.

There are several theories explaining the delay to the major invasion that Israel’s leaders promise will happen. Many point to American pressure, especially US President Joe Biden’s desire to see the IDF pursue something other than a major ground offensive.

In the event that Israel does finally push into Gaza with tanks and infantry, US officers — including a three-star Marine general — are in Israel to share lessons from their combat against the Islamic State in dense cities like Mosul and Raqqa.

Urban combat in the Gaza Strip, if it happens, is sure to be bloody, slow and complex. It will pose some unique challenges, and some that are common to all battles in crowded cities.

The nature of the environment will offer Hamas a number of meaningful advantages that the IDF will have to contend with as it moves through the remains of Gaza City and its environs. READ MORE