Israel plans to take Gaza city with ground attack, wipe out Hamas: Reports

The Israel Defence Force (IDF) has announced that they are ready for a 'coordinated' attack on Gaza, through ground, air, and sea. The army has amassed a huge force along the Gaza border and are waiting for the final command to charge.

IDF top official, Jonathan Conricus, has said troops are prepared for an "intensification of our combat operations". A military statement also said its forces were deployed across the country, increasing operational readiness for the next stages of the war, "with an emphasis on significant ground operations".

Israel's ground assault is planned to eliminate the top political and military leadership of Hamas in Gaza, who launched the surprise attack on Israel, bringing the region into a full-blown war.

The army's goal will be “the rout of Hamas and the elimination of its leaders after the slaughter they perpetrated. This organisation (Hamas) will not rule Gaza militarily and politically,” said Daniel Hagari, the chief spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces.

The extent of the ground invasion plan is yet to be known, as they may stop with capturing Gaza City, as reported by The New York Times.

In an interview, Conricus said, "The aim of our operation is to dismantle Hamas and its military capabilities to make sure that Hamas will never again have the ability to kill or abduct or threaten Israeli civilians".

One key target of the ground attack will be to eliminate Yahya Sinwar, the second-ranking Hamas leader after Ismail Haniyeh. According to Israel, Sinwar was responsible for the atrocities against Israelis during the attack on last Saturday.

Releasing hostages is also an important objective, as experts believe that a ground attack is the only viable method for achieving it.

The Israeli army leadership has not officially announced the time for the ground attack. As per media reports, the ground attack will be launched this week.

The army was reportedly initially planning to enter Gaza by this weekend. However, it was delayed by a few days, at least in part because of adverse weather conditions. Amry sources said the cloudy atmosphere was not favourable for pilots and drone operators to provide air cover to ground forces.

The Israeli army has deployed over 30,000 troops along the Gaza border in southern Israel. As per the IDF, they are planning a "significant" ground operation, with at least 10,000 soldiers advancing into Gaza.