Despite no official acknowledgment from Israel, developments in the Gaza conflict suggest that Israel has postponed a large-scale ground assault on Gaza under Western pressure, allowing time for hostage negotiations.
On October 23, Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, released two more hostages. Last Friday, Hamas released an American mother and daughter, marking the first hostages to be freed since the onset of this conflict.
Western officials revealed that Qatar and Egypt are negotiating with Hamas for the further release of 50 hostages. In an early October raid, Hamas took over 200 hostages, including citizens from the U.S., France, and the UK.
Meanwhile, Israel has not ceased its airstrikes on Gaza. From Sunday night to Monday, Gaza experienced the most intense airstrikes of this conflict, resulting in at least 400 deaths.
The U.S. has dispatched several military advisers to Israel to guide them in upcoming urban warfare. Among those sent to Israel is a U.S. Marine Corps Major General who had participated in the Fallujah urban warfare during the Iraq War.
International Pressure and Hostage Release
Following U.S. President Biden's visit to Israel, Dutch Prime Minister Rutte, Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis, and French President Macron visited Israel on October 23rd and 24th. During these visits, the likelihood of Israel launching a large-scale ground assault on Gaza was minimal.
Sources revealed last Friday that the U.S. pressured Israel to delay its ground assault on Gaza to allow Hamas more time to release additional hostages. On the same day the news broke, Hamas released an American mother and daughter. On Monday, the International Red Cross in Gaza confirmed that Hamas had transferred two female hostages to the organization, and they were en route back to Israel.
Unlike the first released hostages, the latest two are Israeli citizens, aged 85 and 79. Hamas stated that their release was due to humanitarian reasons and health concerns.
Insiders disclosed that Qatar and Egypt are negotiating separately with Hamas and Israel to secure the release of more hostages, potentially 50 in the first batch. In exchange, Hamas is asking Israel to ensure the continuous delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, including fuel.
Currently, Israel refuses to allow fuel shipments into Gaza via the Rafah crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border, fearing the fuel will end up in Hamas's hands. Officials sharing this information said that Israel still hasn't agreed to fuel shipments to Gaza during the negotiations.
Fuel shortages are impacting Gaza's power, water, and sanitation systems. On Monday, a neonatologist from Gaza's Nasser Hospital warned that the hospital's fuel would only last 48 hours. Once depleted, infants reliant on ventilators could die within 24 hours.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that due to fuel shortages, 32 health centers in Gaza have closed, and within 48 hours, generators in Gaza's hospitals are at risk of shutting down.
On the same day, a third batch of relief supplies, transported by 20 trucks, entered Gaza through Egypt's Rafah crossing. However, the United Nations pointed out that the current amount of relief supplies entering Gaza is only 4% of what it was before the conflict, which is insufficient for the heavily bombed region.
Since the onset of this conflict, the U.S., Israel's staunchest ally, has not called for a ceasefire between the conflicting parties. Instead, it supports Israel's efforts to dismantle Hamas and has pledged to provide Israel with all necessary support. As civilian casualties in Gaza continue to rise, progressive members of the U.S. Democratic Party are calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Last week, Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives drafted a resolution urging Israel and Hamas to immediately cease hostilities and prevent further escalation. As of this week, 18 Democrats have signed the resolution.
Former U.S. President Obama also issued a rare statement, warning the Israeli government that cutting off critical supplies to Gaza would not only exacerbate the humanitarian crisis but also influence the attitudes of future generations of Palestinians towards Israel, making peace between the two even harder to achieve.
On Monday, when asked by reporters if the U.S. would support a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages, President Biden firmly stated that the U.S. would consider supporting a ceasefire only after Hamas releases the hostages.
Continued Preparations for Conflict
Within 24 hours from Sunday night to Monday, the Israeli military targeted 320 sites in Gaza and launched small ground operations in search of hostages.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel's airstrikes in those 24 hours resulted in at least 436 deaths, making it one of the deadliest airstrikes of this conflict. As of Monday, the death toll in Gaza has risen to 5,087, with the majority being women and children.
Herzi Halevi, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, made it clear that Israel has no intention of reducing its airstrikes, stating, "We will completely dismantle Hamas." Halevi said Israel is ready for ground operations and is now allowing the Israeli military more time to prepare.
A day earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Gantz predicted that the ground assault on Gaza "could last one month, two months, three months" until Gaza is "without Hamas."
While the U.S. has urged Israel to delay its ground assault, it hasn't tried to persuade Israel to abandon the assault. Instead, the U.S. continues to provide support for the assault.
The Pentagon has sent a team of military advisers to Israel to assist in future combat operations. One of the advisers is Marine Corps Major General James Glynn, who commanded U.S. forces in operations against ISIS in Syria and Iraq and participated in the urban warfare in Fallujah during the Iraq War.
The Battle of Fallujah was the largest urban battle of the Iraq War, where U.S. and Iraqi forces fought against anti-U.S. militants, resulting in over 2,000 militant deaths.
U.S. officials revealed that Glynn will provide Israel with advice related to urban warfare, but neither Glynn nor other U.S. military advisers will participate in combat operations.
Over the weekend, U.S. Defense Secretary Austin announced the deployment of additional "Patriot" anti-aircraft missile systems and "THAAD" anti-missile systems to the Middle East region and redirected the "Eisenhower" aircraft carrier strike group to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
The U.S. Central Command area covers the Middle East, Central Asia, and West Asia. The U.S. had previously dispatched the "Ford" aircraft carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean to deter Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
