An official source at the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas, offered an explanation as to why Israel has delayed its ground offensive.
The source was cited by Aljazeera Arabic channel and other Arab media as saying that Israeli field commanders are refusing to enter the Gaza Strip, before finding practical solutions to the ‘anti-armor missiles’, which are being dropped from improvised Palestinian Resistance drones.
“The matter is now with the Israeli Army command,” the source said, to find “an urgent solution to the matter.”
🚨 AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: We launched two Zuari drones targeting the 107th Squadron at the Hatzerim base and the Sinai Division headquarters at the Tselem base.
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— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) October 23, 2023
The same source also said that the Israeli army has tasked the Ground Arms Weapons Development Department to develop this urgent solution for every tank and personal carrier, which will presumably enter Gaza in case of a ground offensive.
Indeed, recent images appearing from the Israeli front have shown that some Israeli tanks have an iron mesh tent or umbrella covering the top of the Israeli Merkava tanks.
Military analysts suggest that while the Merkava is fortified from the sides, it is weak on top, which has required this improvisation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has accused the US of waging a “proxy war against Palestinians” and warned of dire consequences if the bombardment of Gaza is not stopped and Israel launches a ground assault.https://t.co/61dTMKyLus pic.twitter.com/7W9EHil8Ra
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) October 23, 2023
According to the source, Al-Qassam Brigades have “neutralized 65% of the forces of the (Israeli) Gaza Division between dead, prisoners, and permanently disabled,” in the initial fighting on October 7, and the following days.
For its part, the Israeli military has so far announced that 308 soldiers and officers, including high-ranking military brass, have been killed since October 7, and that 1,210 will permanently leave military service.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
Israel is scared.