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Battle for Southern Gaza Could Take Months, Israeli Military Says
(Wall Street Journal) Dov Lieber - At least 16 Israeli soldiers were killed across Gaza over the past three days, as the IDF is now focusing on killing Hamas leaders and dismantling its extensive tunnel network. On Saturday, four Israeli soldiers were killed by improvised explosive devices, and another four were killed by an antitank missile fired at their armored vehicle. Five additional soldiers were killed in fighting on Friday. The growing death toll has led to some internal criticism that Israel is endangering soldiers by scaling back its use of force in response to U.S. demands to limit civilian casualties. A senior Israeli military officer commanding the battalion inside the city of Khan Yunis said it could take months before they have control over the city the same way the Israeli military now controls northern Gaza. The officer said Hamas is attacking Israeli forces from civilian shelters, and using women and children to gather intelligence or move weapons. In Khan Yunis, the IDF is using a grid system to move civilians out of areas it plans to attack rather than demanding they evacuate all at once as in northern Gaza at the start of the war. The Israeli officer said the system is working and that civilians are evacuating areas before Israel attacks. He said this has led to fewer civilian casualties, and the majority of casualties in Khan Yunis are now terrorists. At least 154 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ground invasion of Gaza began eight weeks ago, making a total of 487 Israeli military deaths since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.