🛡️ The Trap in Gaza: IDF's Dilemma Explained - 10-20-2023
Episode Summary:
Israel has sought military assistance from the US for its conflict with Hamas. Scott Ritter, a former US Marine Corps intelligence officer, highlighted that the Pentagon's resources were depleted and it was not meeting its recruitment goals. The US is unable to provide Israel with the necessary arms for a war against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on Hamas following an unexpected attack by various militant groups. This led to significant Israeli casualties, marking the highest since the 1982 invasion of southern Lebanon. Israel has mobilized a large number of IDF reservists and has been bombing Gaza in anticipation of a ground assault. However, Ritter emphasized that the IDF cannot enter Gaza due to the trap set by Hamas. Additionally, Israel fears a major attack from Hezbollah from the north. Ritter believes that if Hezbollah intervenes with full force, they could capture northern Israel. During a recent visit, US President Joe Biden expressed unwavering support for Israel. Israel has requested vast amounts of military equipment from the US, including artillery shells and missiles for its Iron Dome air defense system. Ritter warned that Hamas could quickly deplete the Iron Dome's ammunition. He also mentioned that Israel's leaders have cornered themselves with their rhetoric and that the US is not willing to engage in a broader conflict with Iran. Ritter criticized Biden's deployment of military assets to the eastern Mediterranean, stating that the US military is becoming increasingly hollowed out as the younger generation is less inclined to participate in overseas wars.
Key Takeaways:
- Israel has requested military assistance from the US for its conflict with Hamas.
- Scott Ritter emphasized the Pentagon's depleted resources and recruitment challenges.
- Significant Israeli casualties have been reported, marking the highest since the 1982 invasion of southern Lebanon.
- Israel has mobilized a large number of IDF reservists in anticipation of a ground assault in Gaza.
- Ritter warns of the trap set by Hamas in Gaza and the potential threat from Hezbollah in the north.
- US President Joe Biden has expressed unwavering support for Israel during his recent visit.
- Israel's request for military equipment, especially for the Iron Dome, may exceed the US's capacity to supply.
- Ritter criticizes the US's military deployment to the eastern Mediterranean and highlights the challenges faced by the US military.
Key Takeaways:
- If Hezbollah intervenes with full force, they could capture northern Israel.
- Hamas could quickly deplete the Iron Dome's ammunition, leading to significant vulnerabilities for Israel.
- The younger generation's declining interest in the military might lead to further challenges in US military recruitment and overseas engagements.
🛡️ The Trap in Gaza: IDF's Dilemma Explained - 10-20-2023
Scott Ritter: Hamas 'Laid Trap' for Israel as US Cannot Replenish Iron Dome
Israel has demanded military aid from the US for its war with the Hamas movement. Former US Marine Corps intelligence officer and UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter pointed out that the Pentagon's cupboard was bare and it was failing to meet recruiting targets.
The US cannot give Israel the arms it needs for a war with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran — or even maintain its own forces — says a military veteran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared war on the Hamas movement that rules in the besieged Gaza Strip in the wake of the surprise attack by several allied militant groups on October 7.
The incursion and subsequent skirmishes — including with Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas on Israel's northern border — has left almost 300 Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) troops dead with 200 more held captive in Gaza. around 1,000 Israeli civilians were also killed. That represents Israel's worst losses since its 1982 invasion of southern Lebanon.
Tel Aviv has called up some 350,000 IDF reservists and has bombed Gaza for almost two weeks in preparation for a ground offensive, which Economy Minister Nir Barkat said had been given the "green light" on Thursday. But that invasion has yet to materialise.
Former US Marine and UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter told Sputnik the IDF simply "can't go into Gaza."
Along with the risk of heavy casualties in Gaza, Israel is wary of Hezbollah's threat to launch a major attack from the north if the IDF goes in.
"Israel cannot beat Hezbollah," Ritter argued. "There's a real likelihood that if Hezbollah comes in with everything they have, they will seize northern Israel in its totality, all the way up to the Sea of Galilee. Syria will recapture the Golan Heights, and there isn't anything Israel can do to stop it."
US president Joe Biden visited Tel Aviv on Wednesday to pledge unqualified support to Israel — while endorsing Netanyahu's claim that it was a stray Islamic Jihad rocket that killed 471
Palestinian refugees at the al-Ahli Baptist hospital in Gaza, not an Israeli bomb or missile.
Israel has asked Washington for large quantities of military equipment and munitions, including tens of thousands of 155mm-calibre artillery shells previously earmarked for Ukraine, and as many missiles for its Iron Dome air defense system — used to intercept rockets launched from Gaza — as the US could supply.
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