‘They May Not Have a Choice but To Militarily Defeat Them’: Rubio Acknowledges Israel’s Dilemma as Gaza City Ground Invasion Begins

Latest Developments

Gaza City Ground Operation Gets Underway: The IDF on September 16 began its highly anticipated ground incursion into Gaza City following over 850 airstrikes throughout the past week, which killed hundreds of terrorists in the area. According to the Israeli military, both regular and reserve troops from Divisions 98, 162, and 36, under the IDF’s southern command, “began a broad ground operation throughout Gaza City as part of Operation Gideon’s Chariots II.” The IDF assessed that some 370,000 residents, representing more than 40 percent of the city’s population, had evacuated south toward a designated humanitarian zone in Khan Yunis.
Explosive-Filled APCs Clearing Way for Troops: Waves of airstrikes slammed targets in Gaza City overnight, with explosions being heard as far away as Tel Aviv. Additionally, the IDF reportedly deployed remote-controlled, repurposed M113 Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) packed with tons of explosives to destroy Hamas infrastructure and preemptively set off booby traps ahead of the advance of ground forces, in attempts to minimize casualties. The APCs reportedly targeted the Gaza City neighborhoods of Tel al-Hawa and Rimal the morning of September 16.
Rubio Says Hamas Unlikely To Make Concessions in Ceasefire Deal: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on September 15 during a trip to Israel that the United States “wants [the war in Gaza] to be finished.” He clarified, however, that while Washington was still pushing for a ceasefire deal that would see the remaining 48 hostages released from captivity, Hamas remained “ a terrorist group, a barbaric group, whose stated mission is the destruction of the Jewish state,” meaning that Israel “may not have a choice but to militarily defeat them.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated alongside Rubio that Israel “must make sure Hamas is eliminated.”

FDD Expert Response

“Hamas is likely to employ the same irregular warfare tactics in Gaza City that it has used across the coastal enclave throughout the war. While it is improbable that Hamas and allied Palestinian factions will halt the IDF’s advance, they will seek to impose heavy costs on Israeli forces. Israeli troops will almost certainly have to face Hamas attempts to abduct soldiers, as well as the terrorist group hiding in the city’s streets and buildings to launch mass-casualty incidents.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“Israel cannot meet Hamas halfway on the terrorist group’s determination to destroy the Jewish state and exterminate, expel, or enslave its 7 million Jews. A ceasefire that allows Hamas to remain in power in Gaza is merely kicking the can down the road, guaranteeing future suffering on both sides. What’s more, Hamas is violating international law every second that it holds Israelis as hostages. It is absurd that the United Nations and Western countries are pressuring Israel rather than the ‘savage terrorists’ of Hamas, as Secretary Rubio called them.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst