The Israeli ground invasion, initially scheduled for the weekend, was postponed for a few days, primarily due to adverse weather conditions that would have complicated the task of Israeli pilots and drone operators providing air support to ground forces, The New York Times reported citing three senior Israeli military officials who provided non-classified information about the operation.

The Israeli military is making preparations for a forthcoming invasion of the Gaza Strip. Tens of thousands of troops have been directed "to take control of Gaza City", as per the report.

The military's stated objective is to assassinate the highest-ranking officials within Hamas, the officials added.

They stressed that the upcoming ground invasion is anticipated to be the largest ground operation by "Israel" since its 2006 war on Lebanon. In the case that the invasion is carried out, it would be the first invasion since the 2008 invasion of Gaza where "Israel" intends to expand occupied territories. 

This operation is anticipated to pose the danger of entangling "Israel" in extensive urban warfare, encompassing battles on the surface and within a complex network of tunnels. Such an offensive has historically been avoided by "Israel" due to the challenges it presents, involving combat within a narrow and densely populated strip of land inhabited by over 2 million people.

On Saturday, Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades released a video warning Israeli occupation forces (IOF) against invading the Gaza Strip. The video titled, "This is what awaits you when you enter Gaza," is a stern warning to the IOF as the Brigades put on display some of their defensive tactics and capabilities in case "Israel" decides to proceed with a ground invasion against Gaza.

Hamas military wing, Martyr Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, published a video titled: "A message to the [Israeli] ground forces: This is what awaits you when you enter Gaza."#Gaza #GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/ljyh10FjyN

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 14, 2023

In the same context, Al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson Abu Obeida underlined, on Thursday, that the Palestinian resistance would utterly crush the Israeli occupation if it dared enter Gaza.

"The notion that the enemy could expand the battle to a land invasion will push us to utilize our options that would be very costly for the enemy in terms of manpower and vehicles," he underlined.

Furthermore, there is uncertainty about whether Hezbollah, with its substantial arsenal of precision-guided missiles and ground troops, might respond to a Gaza invasion by opening a second front against "Israel" along the Lebanese border.

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On that note, MP Hassan Fadlallah, a member of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc Loyalty to the Resistance, told Al Mayadeen that the Resistance has established a clear equation that any act of Israeli aggression will be met with an appropriate response.

Expanding on how the Resistance chooses to implement the equation, Fadlallah confirmed that "it has its vision and plans [covering all scenarios], and it will not disclose to the enemy any information about its operations."

He also affirmed, "The [Israeli] occupation has pushed the entire region into a war, at the core of which is Gaza, and the Resistance is in a high state of readiness, prepared for all scenarios and every military option."

While the Israeli occupation forces didn't officially declare its intention to invade Gaza, it has acknowledged that reconnaissance teams entered the strip briefly on Friday and that Israeli troops were elevating their state of preparedness for a potential ground invasion.

Tens of thousands of Resistance fighters are thought to have entrenched themselves inside hundreds of miles of underground tunnels and bunkers beneath Gaza and the surrounding parts of northern Gaza. Israeli military leaders expect that Hamas will attempt to impede their progress by blowing up some of those tunnels as Israelis advance above them, and by exploding roadside bombs and booby-trapping buildings.

Hamas also plans to ambush Israeli forces from behind by emerging suddenly from hidden tunnel openings dotted across northern Gaza, according to a Hamas officer who was not authorized to speak to the news media, as cited by NYT.

The Israeli military gave its forces the green light to shoot on sight, as disclosed by the three Israeli officers, who did not provide additional specifics. 

Due to the immense destruction in Gaza, caused by hysteric Israeli airstrikes, additional training has been given to troops to prepare for combat in urban areas that have been reduced to rubble, a fourth officer, Colonel Golan Vach said as quoted by NYT.

Smoke and destruction are all you see in al-Rimal neighborhood in #Gaza following the continuous brutal Israeli bombing with entire residential buildings being flattened.#Palestine #GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/Cy2FmKbqAr

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 13, 2023

"Israel" leaves a trail of destruction while bombing residential areas in the #Gaza Strip, so far killing 436 #Palestinians, including 91 children and 61 women.#Palestine#OperationAlAqsaFlood#طوفان_الأقصى pic.twitter.com/L9Y6g9SDU5

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 9, 2023

It is worth noting that the Israeli occupation forces will not only consist of infantry but will also include tanks, sappers, and commandos, as the officers noted. These ground troops will receive air cover from warplanes, helicopter gunships, aerial drones, and artillery deployed from both land and sea.

Read next: What is the goal of Gaza ground invasion? 'Israel' does not know