The New York Times reported on Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is face-to-face with his own forces after refusing to sign off on plans concerning the ground invasion in Gaza.

Citing multiple sources, the NYT stated that the Israeli leadership has aimed to "obliterate" the Palestinian Resistance in retaliation for the October 7 Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, but no agreement has been reached regarding how, when, and to what extent.

According to the NYT, the IOF has already finalized a plan, but Netanyahu declined to greenlight it, adding that officials were banned from bringing recording equipment into meetings, which was analyzed by sources as a way to "limit the amount of evidence that could be presented to a national inquiry after the war."

This comes after 85-year-old hostage Yocheved Lifshitz indirectly criticized the Israeli leadership after being released by the Palestinian Resistance in an interview on Tuesday, saying officials were "no help at all" when she was captured.

Read next: Poll shows 49% of Israeli settlers prefer Gaza ground invasion delay

The NYT suggests that one of the reasons behind Netanyahu's delays for a ground invasion is hope or expectation that Qatar-mediated talks secure the release of some hostages. 

It added that some members of the occupation's leadership prefer "a less ambitious plan involving several more limited incursions that target one small part of the enclave at a time."

Hidden fears

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that "Israel's" ground invasion of the Gaza Strip will be delayed to give the United States the chance to transfer additional air defense systems into the Middle East to counter attacks on its troops in Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Furthermore, concerned Israeli officials have agreed to delay an expected ground invasion of the Gaza Strip until the air defense systems are set up as early as later this week.

On the other hand, The Jerusalem Post, citing sources, claims that one factor behind the delay has been the concern that Hezbollah is waiting for that moment to open a full battle front with the IOF in the north.

While the US has pledged unconditional support for "Israel" in its aggression against Gaza, it is concerned about the possible repercussions of the ground invasion, the report explains, listing a set of concerns: 

• The conflict could snowball into a regional war that would involve other parties, such as the Lebanese Islamic Resistance - Hezbollah;
• The humanitarian toll on Palestinian civilians could subject "Israel" and the US to increased international pressure;
• Exacerbation of the struggle and increased Palestinian casualties could place normalization deals with Arab governments at risk;
• The fate of the captives, which "Israel" seems to have decided to sacrifice as "collateral damage" in its war against Gaza;
•  "Israel" has no prospective plan for Gaza beyond their determination to "destroy" Hamas. 

Read more: IRGC chief warns 'Israel' of Gaza ground invasion