Israel’s bulldozers will roll into Gaza followed by ‘chariot’ tanks
A young woman who is serving in the military is getting ready for action in a field near the Gaza border.
Only two weeks ago, she was employed at an advertising agency in Tel Aviv. However, now she is going to Gaza, which is known for its challenging conditions and the presence of Hamas militants.
She stated that it is quite distinct from the activities she was engaged in two weeks ago. However, everything took a turn on October 7, when 1,400 individuals from her community were brutally killed by Hamas. She emphasized that this is a battle for our existence, and we have received proper training for it, ensuring our victory.
She is among 370,000 conscripts who abandoned their day jobs – and their cars outside army bases – to sign up. Both the people of Israel and of Gaza are braced for mass bloodshed as the former vows to punish Hamas by land, air and sea.
I observed the crews getting ready for their upcoming invasion of Gaza, known as the ‘Swords of Iron’. Tanks, troops, and powerful armored bulldozers were gathered, indicating the intensity of the impending attack.
On Friday, Israeli forces were observed in close proximity to the Gazza Strip in anticipation of a potential invasion.
The Caterpillar D9R, nicknamed ‘Doobi’, which means ‘teddy bear’ in Hebrew, is designed to smash fences and take on the maze of narrow streets
Merkava battle tanks will rumble through the breach. Merkavas, ‘chariots’ in Hebrew, are said to be among the most powerful tanks yet built.
The mighty Caterpillar D9R, nicknamed ‘Doobi’, which means ‘teddy bear’ in Hebrew, is designed to smash fences and take on the maze of narrow streets, vast tunnel networks, booby traps and sniper positions that await Israeli troops.
The eve-of-war manoeuvres came as:
- Israel verified that Hamas had released two American hostages as part of a deal facilitated by Qatar.
- Rishi Sunak engaged in a meeting with the Palestinian president during a peace conference in Egypt as a component of his rapid diplomatic efforts throughout the Middle East.
- The immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, stated that individuals from other countries who engage in chanting pro-Palestine slogans may face the possibility of having their visas cancelled.
- The UK police have verified a surge of 1,300 percent in anti-Semitic occurrences during the past fortnight.
- Greta Thunberg, a climate activist, received strong criticism when her image of solidarity, titled ‘Stand with Gaza,’ included a toy that was perceived as being anti-Semitic.
- The BBC silently abandoned the term ‘militants’ when referring to Hamas.
- A ‘hostage manual’ found on the bodies of Hamas fighters instructed gunmen to ‘kill the problematic’ ones.
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023
On October 20, 2023, the Iron Dome defense system in Israel successfully intercepted rockets that were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel. This event was observed from Ashkelon, located in southern Israel.
On October 20, 2023, amidst ongoing Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian individuals engage in search and rescue efforts within the devastated structures of Nuseirat Refugee Camp.
Once the ‘teddy bears’ smash a path into Gaza, Merkava battle tanks will rumble through the breach. Merkavas, ‘chariots’ in Hebrew, are said to be among the most powerful tanks yet built.
Yesterday, under the scorching sun, soldiers hurriedly moved back and forth between their tanks, refilling containers and inspecting weapons at a secret site near the Gaza border.
A local Israeli with us, as we watched the jaw-dropping mass of armoured vehicles, said: ‘To think all of those tanks are going into Gaza is terrifying for everybody. But it has to be done to Hamas once and for all. The prospect for both sides truly scares me. It will go on for a long time I believe.’
Today marks two weeks since heavily-armed Hamas killers burst out of the Gaza enclave at dawn and struck terror into Israeli villages, beheading babies, blasting pensioners to death and torching homes to condemn occupants to burn alive.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meeting the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo, Egypt, 20 October 2023
IDF Caterpillar D9R armored bulldozer (File Photo)
Some 203 hostages, including 20 children and up to 20 pensioners, were trussed up and frogmarched to Gaza where they are now ‘human shields’.
Yesterday, Israel stated that they have knowledge that the ‘majority’ of the kidnapped individuals are still alive. However, the families of the victims are extremely frightened as the country has made a commitment to completely destroy the terrorist organization responsible for holding them captive. Moshe Leimberg, aged 59, expressed his inability to watch the news due to the distress it causes him. His wife Gabriela, daughter Mia (17), and other family members were taken by Hamas at the Nir Yitzhak kibbutz.
He expressed his desire to reunite with his family, including his daughter, wife, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, sister-in-law’s life partner, and even his beloved dog.
Hamas has proposed releasing a portion of the hostages in return for an instant cessation of hostilities. Recently, it freed two American hostages, a mother and her daughter, citing “humanitarian grounds” as the motive.
Yesterday, military leaders revealed a war strategy consisting of three phases. This marks the first instance where Israel has outlined a comprehensive plan to address its most deadly conflict in many years.
Defence minister Yoav Gallant, who on Thursday banged the drum for war by telling troops they would ‘soon’ see Gaza up close, told Israeli lawmakers to expect air strikes and ground manoeuvres, followed by targeted attacks on pockets of resistance from Hamas fighters.
He mentioned that in the third phase, Israel would no longer be accountable for the well-being of the Gaza Strip. However, he did not specify who would assume control of the Gaza Strip in the event that Hamas is overthrown.
On October 20, 2023, an Israeli Merkava tank is seen driving near Kibbutz Beeri, which is located close to the Gaza border. This occurrence follows an attack by Palestinian militants on October 7.
On Friday, October 20, 2023, rockets originating from the Gaza Strip were launched towards Israel, as observed from southern Israel.
On October 20, 2023, a satellite image captured a scene of humanitarian aid trucks traveling together near Sheikh Zuwayed in Egypt’s North Sinai province. These trucks were en route to the Rafah border crossing, which connects northeastern Egypt to the southern Gaza Strip. While cargo planes and trucks have been transporting humanitarian aid to Rafah for several days, none of it has reached Gaza yet.
The UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees stated that Gaza has become a dreadful place for civilians, and there is an urgent need to deliver aid to the region. Palestinian authorities report that over the past two weeks, more than 4,100 individuals have lost their lives in Gaza due to the retaliatory air strikes by Israel.
The crisis has been described as ‘catastrophic’ by UN aid workers, who believe that around 600 children are currently unaccounted for in the debris of bombed areas. Medical professionals and humanitarian organizations have expressed concern that hospitals, which are providing critical care to numerous injured individuals, are at risk of losing power soon.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly received private support from US President Joe Biden, leading to the approval of the ground invasion.
Major General Yaron Finkelman warned the expected ground offensive would be ‘long and intense’.
The strike force will face its greatest challenge in the maze of crowded streets surrounding Gaza City and its extensive refugee camps, which are among the most densely populated regions on the planet.
Hamas will be lying in wait in a fortified warren of tunnels stretching miles beneath the enclave. Despite Israeli planes and artillery pounding Gaza for nearly two weeks, militants were still managing to fire rockets into Israel yesterday.
Tanks mass on border as Sunak urges Arab leaders to stay calm
By Jason Groves and Mary O’Connor
Last night, Israeli tanks and troops gathered at the Gaza border, prompting Rishi Sunak to call on Arab leaders to take all necessary measures in order to prevent the escalation of the Hamas terror attacks in Israel into a larger conflict in the Middle East.
The Prime Minister engaged in discussions with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo, with the objective of pacifying the unstable circumstances and establishing a pathway for delivering humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
The Prime Minister achieved a diplomatic victory by engaging in conversations with Mahmoud Abbas, an experienced Palestinian leader. Abbas had refused to hold discussions with President Joe Biden of the United States following an explosion at a hospital in Gaza on Tuesday.
During their meeting before the Arab peace summit in Cairo, the Prime Minister expressed his sincere sympathies to Mr. Abbas for the tragic loss of innocent lives in Gaza, particularly the devastating destruction of the al-Ahli hospital.
On October 20, 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss the situation in Gaza.
Mr. Sunak expressed that the UK will offer assistance to Gaza and reiterated his support for a ‘two-state solution’ where Israelis and Palestinians can coexist peacefully and securely. The statement from No 10 mentioned that both individuals denounced Hamas terrorism and emphasized that Hamas does not speak for the Palestinian population.
Earlier, the PM held talks in Saudi Arabia with the emir of Qatar, who is a key figure in negotiations to secure the release of more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7. Downing Street said the two leaders ‘underlined the imperative of avoiding any escalation in the violence across the region’, agreeing that all leaders had a ‘responsibility to do everything possible to prevent it’.
Mr. Sunak expressed gratitude to Qatar for their endeavors in ensuring the liberation of captives, which included a minimum of two British individuals, as stated by a representative.
Yesterday, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, paid a visit to the Rafah crossing located between Egypt and Gaza.
He implored the international community to ensure aid trucks could enter the ‘hellhole’. Speaking to media on the Egyptian side of the crossing, Mr Guterres insisted the safe passage of humanitarian aid lorries into Gaza was ‘the difference between life and death’ for Palestinians and that the trucks needed to enter the enclave as quickly as possible.
