Gaza Takeover Plan Exposes Constraints on Israeli Military

Netanyahu said that Israeli forces would take over the entire strip, a Palestinian enclave of roughly two million people

- Feliz Solomon

Israeli authorities say the occupation of the entire Gaza Strip threatened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to start with a narrower goal—seizing control of Gaza City—reflecting serious resource constraints that are likely to limit the pace and scope of military operations.

After nearly two years of intense conflict sparked by an assault on southern Israel by Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas that killed around 1,200 people, Israel's troops are exhausted, and a large majority of citizens say they want a deal to end the war and free hostages still held by Hamas.

Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli forces would take over the entire strip, a Palestinian enclave of roughly two million people along the Mediterranean coast, in order to disarm Hamas and remove it from power. The plan was approved by the security cabinet, which said the military would start with Gaza City. Israel hasn't said when the operation would begin, how long it would take or how many troops it might require.

Military analysts said it could play out over weeks or months. Aid groups say they worry any offensive would further curtail efforts to supply food and medical care to residents.

Gaza City is the biggest population center in the northern part of the strip, home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. Its dense urban landscape—THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.—with a web of underground tunnels used by militants—makes it a difficult battlefield. Some surviving Israeli hostages are thought to be held there.

A rapid advance would require several army divisions with tens of thousands of soldiers, said Amir Avivi, a former Israeli defense official who is close to the current government. It is likely Israel will opt for a more gradual operation that puts less stress on manpower, he said.

"Israel is trying to find a balance, not conquering everything but concentrating on a critical area," he said.