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Mr. Netanyahu referred to as the Hamas video “merciless psychological warfare.”
Hamas is ready for a protracted, bloody combat, and its fighters have turned Gaza right into a labyrinth of tunnels, stocked with weapons and meals. A few of the hostages are hidden within the tunnels, lots of that are probably booby-trapped.
After pounding Gaza and its individuals with artillery and bombs, the Israeli military moved in on Friday. To this point, the Israeli navy has superior to the outskirts of Gaza Metropolis however not entered the Hamas stronghold. Fierce city preventing is anticipated after they do.
Rob Saale, the previous head of the F.B.I.-led Hostage Restoration Fusion Cell, mentioned Israel was dealing with an unprecedented state of affairs.
“There are not any simple options,” Mr. Saale mentioned. “I believe the Israelis are pursuing the correct course. You may’t let the hostages dictate what you might be doing. Persevering with to place loads of stress on Hamas might be one of the simplest ways to get them again. Hamas isn’t going to free hostages from a place of power.”
Lt. Gen. Mark C. Schwartz, a retired Particular Operations commander who previously served as U.S. safety coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, mentioned that Israel has probably embedded commandos inside its advancing floor models in order that they’ll act rapidly in the event that they obtain contemporary intelligence on hostage places.
Different former senior officers who’ve served fight excursions within the Center East painted a grim image of attempting to recuperate the hostages — both via negotiations or navy rescue — as Israeli forces pushed deeper into Gaza.
Gen. Richard D. Clarke, a retired head of the U.S. Particular Operations Command, mentioned the circumstances in Gaza — an energetic struggle zone, the massive variety of hostages, scarce intelligence on their actual places and Hamas’s preparations to defend towards an Israeli assault — make any hostage restoration operation “extraordinarily difficult.”
“Getting the hostages out shall be very troublesome,” mentioned Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., a retired head of the U.S. navy’s Central Command. “Hamas will attempt to create dilemmas for the Israelis — placing them close to command posts, rocket launching websites and ammo dumps — so long as they’ll.”
The three generals all predicted a prolonged combat, probably taking months.
“I don’t suppose Hamas will fold,” mentioned Basic Schwartz. “They wish to kill Israeli troopers, and I count on there to be brutal preventing.”
Yair Golan, a former deputy chief of workers within the Israel Protection Forces who helped rescue partygoers at a music competition that was attacked on Oct. 7, mentioned the hostages need to be a precedence as Israel conducts the struggle towards Hamas.
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