After 16 days of massing near Gaza, Israeli troops await the highly anticipated invasion of the Hamas-controlled territory.
TZE'ELIM, Israel — After 16 days of mobilizing and massing near the Gaza Strip, an eerie calm lingers among Israeli troops as they await the highly anticipated invasion of the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory.
Like most ground offensives, the combat engineering corps will lead the armored formations when they enter Gaza -- breaching defenses and clearing mines and booby traps to pave the way for ground troops. The decision to launch a ground invasion is now in the hands of the Israeli government, even as pressure builds from its allies over the shape and parameters of the operation.
For kilometers, tourist buses, family cars, tanks and army jeeps form an seemingly endless convoy en route to the base. In Tze'elim, "tens of thousands" are believed to be on hand in addition to the 169,500 Israeli soldiers already serving in active duty, while an estimated 360,000 reserves have been mobilized to assist in the fight.
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