For more than a week, an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza has seemed as if it might begin any day. Troops and tanks have crowded the border. Israel has ordered Gazans to evacuate south. The military has showered missiles on Hamas bunkers to weaken the group.
But no ground invasion has begun. Why the apparent delay?
One part of the answer is that Israel’s allies, led by President Biden, have encouraged a pause, as our colleagues reported yesterday. Biden spent much of yesterday on calls with Benjamin Netanyahu and the leaders of several European countries.
Western leaders have made clear that they support Israel invading Gaza to destroy Hamas, after an Oct. 7 terrorist attack that killed more than 1,400 people, but the leaders also hope to shape the coming invasion in four main ways:
Hostages: The U.S. wants more time for hostage negotiations. On Friday, the U.S. secured the release of two American hostages, with Qatar’s help. Israel believes Hamas may release about 50 hostages who are citizens of another country as well as Israel, but a ground invasion could make hostage releases less likely.
Defense: Biden is worried about a wider regional conflict, potentially including Iran. American officials want more time to prepare for attacks from Iran-backed groups, which they believe will intensify after the invasion. The State Department has ordered some government employees and family members to leave the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and the Pentagon is sending more missile defense systems to the region.
Aid: U.S. officials have stressed the importance of getting more food, water and medicine to Palestinian civilians in southern Gaza. Over the weekend, two aid convoys passed into the territory. On a call yesterday, Biden and Netanyahu agreed that “there will now be continued flow” of humanitarian aid into Gaza, according to the White House.
Strategy: Biden has advised Israel to avoid the mistakes that the U.S. made after 9/11 — when, enraged after an attack, American officials pursued a war in Afghanistan (and later one in Iraq) with flawed strategies. And urban warfare in Gaza’s streets is notoriously difficult. U.S. officials hope Israel first takes the time to weaken Hamas through airstrikes and plan a successful campaign that minimizes civilian casualties, as our colleague Steven Erlanger said.
“It’s been nearly a decade since ground troops went into Gaza in even a significant way,” Steven pointed out.
In the rest of today’s newsletter, we walk through the latest information on the hostages that Hamas is holding, last week’s explosion at a Gaza hospital and more.
Halloween: Brace yourself for a lot of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift costumes.
Metropolitan Diary: A holiday invitation from a cabby.
Lives Lived: Betsy Rawls won eight major golf championships, including four U.S. Women’s Opens, then became a golf executive. She died at 95.
SPORTS
M.L.B.: The Texas Rangers forced a Game 7 in the A.L.C.S. with a 9-2 win over the Houston Astros. They play tonight to decide who goes to the World Series.
N.F.L.: The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Miami Dolphins, 31-17.
Sunday football: The Patriots scraped past the Bills, winning 29-25 with 12 seconds left. And after two penalties in the final minute, the Colts lost to the Browns, 38-39.
F1: Max Verstappen won the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, but his latest victory came with slight controversy: Two prominent drivers were disqualified.
Professional carver: Adam Bierton is allergic to pumpkins. Still, he carves them for a living. Using a tool that resembles a carrot peeler and a lemon-juice spritzer, Bierton whittles intricate faces, some snarling or wailing with bulging eyeballs. Unlike hollowed-out jack-o’-lanterns, most of his carvings have their guts intact and are not lit from within. See photos of his demonstrations at the New York Botanical Garden.