Def Min To Troops-'You Will Soon See Gaza From Inside'

Wires carrying comments from Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Speaking to infantry troops near to the border Gallant states "You now see Gaza from afar, soon you will see it from the inside. The order will come." Ever since the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel there has been an expectation that Israel would launch a ground offensive in Gaza as part of its efforts to 'wipe out Hamas'. Despite a significant troop buildup, in recent days this has not come to fruition with aerial bombardments the main action taken by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) so far.

• This comment does not signal that an incursion is imminent, but would seem to back up views that see the IDF moving into Gaza on the ground as a core scenario rather than a tail-risk.
• The Israeli gov't has come under pressure from its partners such as the US, EU, and UK to minimise civilian casualties and allow humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians. They have also, though, sought to dissuade other regional actors from becoming embroiled in the conflict which would risk a much wider conflagration involving nation states.