The US authorities may have influenced Israel's decision to postpone a full-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip and instead conduct more limited ground operations.
Source. American officials told The New York Times about this.
According to the newspaper's interlocutors, the IDF's actions in recent days coincide with the proposals of Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin, which he presented during his last visit to Israel.
Members of the Biden administration do not yet know what Israel will ultimately do, as increasingly frequent air strikes and expanded ground operations over the past three days point to a more aggressive stance.
Washington notes that the scale of the Israeli armed forces' ground operations in Gaza was smaller than the Israeli military leadership had announced in a conversation with U.S. military officials. The initial plans were quite unrealistic in terms of military objectives, and the Israeli army was not yet ready for a ground invasion.
According to a US official who spoke to the NYT, Israel has improved its plan. Under the current strategy, reconnaissance units move deep into Gaza to "identify Hamas fighters, engage them and identify their vulnerabilities."
"Once the weaknesses, seams, and gaps are identified, the main strike force will be brought into the operation," said former Pentagon and CIA official Mick Mulroy.
Representatives of the Biden administration insist that the United States does not tell Israel what to do.
Another factor that most likely influenced the IDF's plans is the possible implications for hostage negotiations, according to Washington.
Background. As a reminder, on October 27, an IDF spokesperson announced that Israel had expanded its ground operation in Gaza, and the Internet and mobile communications were cut off in the sector.