With the IDF’s latest pushes on Wednesday in deep southern Gaza in Rafah and in northern Gaza, it will be close to controlling 30% of Gazan territory, defense sources said.
On Wednesday, IDF Division 36 finally started to take a full hand in the invasion, focusing on northern Rafah.
Its activities added on to other divisions already active in Gaza since mid-March, including Division 252 in northern and central Gaza, and 143 in deep southern Rafah.
The latest IDF maneuvers could eventually cut off Rafah from Khan Yunis on the higher part of southern Gaza.
Despite the expanded areas of operation, defense sources have said they are continuing to avoid operating in areas in which hostages might be held.
Further, defense sources said that even as the growing of the invasion to three divisions, so far,has required some new rounds of reservists callups, the government still will not need to order a very large reservist callup wave unless it engages in a much larger invasion of Gaza.
Defense sources threatened that if Hamas did not agree to a new hostage deal soon, a much larger Gaza invasion could be ordered within a period of days or weeks.
IDF operations in Rafah
However, Defense Minister Israel Katz deflected any questions from The Jerusalem Post suggesting that Israel was moving toward a slow military occupation of Gaza.
Rather, he said that the focus of the operation was still achieving a hostage deal and he did not want to speculate about whether Hamas could or would try to outlast Israel’s latest military assault for several more months.
Next, defense sources disputed widespread reports that an attempt to order a wider reservist callup would run into potentially around half of the forces refusing in opposition to the government: not continuing the ceasefire with Hamas to get more hostages, undermining the legal establishment, and firing Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar.
In addition, defense sources disputed the idea that the more Gazan territory the IDF tries to hold onto, which requires more stationary forces, the more IDF losses in the field will start to spike.
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