Israel has been preparing for an attack against Hamas in Gaza for the past week. According to the UN, on October 13, the Israeli army ordered 1.1 million Palestinians to leave the site and move to southern Gaza within twenty-four hours. Due to which a large number of people are doing Hijrat. On the other hand, more than 30,000 troops have taken over the southern part of Israel near the Gaza border, of which at least 10,000 will cross into Gaza.

Israeli tanks and armored vehicles are being deployed along the border. The Israeli Defense Force has already announced that it is fully prepared to attack Hamas by air, land and sea, and its troops are awaiting final orders.

However, Israeli Air Force fighter planes have continued to bombard Hamas targets in Gaza since the declaration of war. A large number of civilians are dying in war. On Tuesday (October 17) night, Hamas claimed that at around 10:30 p.m. Israel launched an airstrike on Al-Ahli Hospital in the Gaza Strip, killing around 500 people. The conflict between the two sides does not seem to stop now. The war between Hamas and Israel has entered twelve days.

More than 4,700 people lost their lives

More than 4,700 people on both sides have lost their lives so far due to this war. The war began when Hamas, an extremist organization operating from the Gaza Strip, launched a deadly surprise attack in southern Israel on the morning of October 7, prompting a declaration of war by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu said in one of his televised addresses that Israel will reach wherever Hamas terrorists have entered. He has vowed to destroy Hamas. The last time Israel sent its army into Gaza was in 2014 under 'Operation Protective Edge'. Despite past experience, Israel faces several challenges against Hamas in the densely populated urban areas of Gaza. Let's find out what problems and challenges will arise for Israel in a ground attack in Gaza.

Gaza Strip and Israel's Strategy of Evacuation

The Gaza Strip covers an area of ​​140 square miles, home to over two million people. It is one of the most densely populated areas on earth. Landing troops in dense urban areas would be dangerous.

A large number of civilians are expected to be killed in the ground fighting. Therefore, Israel is adopting several strategies to warn citizens to evacuate the areas. Low-yield bombs are being dropped on many buildings before a full-scale attack. Local people are being warned to move to safer areas through phone calls or text messages.

Israel has also imposed a complete blockade on Gaza. Electricity, water and fuel have been cut off. Meanwhile, a large number of people are dying and the rubble of buildings in various places due to airstrikes presents a picture of devastation.

What challenges will Israel face in a ground attack in Gaza?

There is no doubt that Israeli ground attacks in Gaza could kill more Hamas members, but fighting in this congested area would carry a high risk of casualties, including both civilians and soldiers. In 2014, more than 2,000 Palestinians were killed in ground and air strikes in Gaza under Israel's Operation Protective Edge. Israel was also damaged in the Seven Weeks War.

Narrow streets and debris from buildings will cause trouble

If Israel uses its attack helicopters to send infantry into Gaza, this urban war will take a terrible form in the narrow streets of the coastal area, which has 5,500 people per square kilometer, while Israel has a population of 400 people per square kilometer. As the space to accommodate so many people is running out, hundreds of buildings have been erected.

At some places the roads are very narrow. Israeli Air Force airstrikes have already left many buildings in ruins, making it difficult for ground troops (IFVs) and tanks to navigate into Gaza.

There will be a risk of sniper attack

Boobi traps in small areas would pose a threat to Israeli soldiers, who would have to test, disarm and clear them. At the same time, there is also the risk of sniper attacks on soldiers from the high labyrinthine buildings of the Gaza Strip. This problem can also occur against the soldiers of Israel.

The war between Syria and Ukraine illustrates this danger

The wars in Syria and Ukraine have shown that small teams can inflict heavy damage on large mechanized infantry forces using anti-tank guided missiles and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). Israeli soldiers may also face this problem.

Is it dangerous to engage troops by helicopter?

Bringing troops into combat by helicopter could also be dangerous for Israel because Hamas may have man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS). If these helicopters fly too low, unguided rocket-propelled grenades can be dangerous for them, as was seen in Somalia in 1993 when two American helicopters were blown up while flying over a densely populated city in the Battle of Mogadishu. The media termed this incident as 'Black Hawk Down'.

The former US ambassador immediately explained the reasons for not attacking the ground

According to Daniel Kertzer, who was the US ambassador to Israel from 2001 to 2005, the main challenge Israel would face during a ground attack would be attacks from tunnels in Gaza and Hamas fighters.

He also raised the possibility that an Israeli ground attack could be a phased attack rather than a full-scale attack. Kurtzer is currently a professor of Middle East Policy Studies at Princeton University. He said there were several operational reasons why Israel did not proceed with an immediate ground attack.

How could Hamas respond to a ground attack on Israel?

It remains to be seen how Hamas will respond to the Israeli ground attack. Hamas's sudden and deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7 points to a group that has hardened itself from years of experience fighting the Israeli military and acquired a level of adaptability. Hamas can implement guerrilla warfare tactics that can prove dangerous to Israeli troops during ground attacks.

At the same time, in recent years Hamas has developed units of experienced combat operatives. Hamas' special 'Nukhba' force launched a deadly attack last week and blew up Israel's high-tech Iron Wall. The International Institute for Strategic Studies estimates that the Hamas unit has between 15,000 and 20,000 fighters, while Israel says the number is much higher, at around 30,000.

Hamas has a large stockpile of rockets and mortars!

Hamas has a large stockpile of locally made rockets and mortars in Gaza. Israel's military says more than 5,000 missiles have been fired at it since the war began. In 2021, Israeli intelligence estimated that Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another group active in Gaza, possessed about 30,000 missiles. Hamas is also believed to have a large stockpile of Kornet anti-tank missiles to counter Israeli battle tanks.

Additionally, several videos showed Hamas using drones that dropped grenades in attacks on Israel last week, similar to those used by the Russian military in Ukraine.

Hostages are also feared dead due to ground attack

According to Israel, Hamas has taken about 200 people hostage, including many citizens of the United States and Britain. Hamas has already threatened to kill the hostages in response to the Israeli attack. The risk to the hostages cannot be ruled out if Israel launches ground operations to dismantle Hamas' networks and destroy its capabilities. Israel may have to lose those people's lives.