US Delays Gaza Invasion to Deploy Air Defences in Middle East

•Netanyahu: Israeli war cabinet will determine timing of Gaza invasion

•Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad leaders discuss how to achieve ‘victory’

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja with agency reports

Israel has agreed to delay a ground invasion of Gaza to enable United States to deploy air defence systems to protect U.S. troops in the region.

The Jewish nation, yesterday, continued to pound Gaza, launching more airstrikes ahead of a possible ground invasion as the conflict with Hamas entered its 19th day.

But Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, yesterday, said Israeli war cabinet will determine the timing of the invasion. His assertion came as the head of Lebanon’s Hezbollah met top leaders of the Palestinian militant factions, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and discussed what their alliance must do to “achieve a real victory for the resistance”, Hezbollah said on Wednesday.

Netanyahu said Gaza invasion would be determined by the war cabinet.

“It should be like this so that we can save our soldiers’ lives. I want to be clear, the timing of the IDF action, the timing will be set unanimously by the war cabinet, together with the chief of staff,” he said.

Reports earlier Wednesday said Israel agreed to delay a ground invasion of Gaza so the U.S. could deploy air defence systems to protect U.S. troops in the region.

Speaking from the White House on Wednesday, President Joe Biden emphasised the need for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza while reiterating his support for Israel, saying, “Israel has the right, and I would add, responsibility, to respond to the slaughter of their people.”

Israel has also reportedly agreed to a request by the United States to delay its ground offensive to allow more time for hostage negotiations, humanitarian aid to reach civilians in Gaza and for the U.S. to move air defence systems into the region

Biden and other U.S. officials had urged Israel to hold off on a planned ground offensive in part because of threats to U.S. troops from militant groups in the region once an invasion of the Hamas-ruled Palestinian territory starts.

Meanwhile, the head of Lebanon’s Hezbollah met top leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad and discussed what their alliance must do to “achieve a real victory for the resistance”, Hezbollah said on Wednesday.

Part of an Iran-backed regional alliance, the heavily armed Hezbollah has had daily exchanges of fire with Israeli forces along the Israeli-Lebanese frontier since war broke out between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 7.

The meeting involved Hezbollah’s Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri and Islamic Jihad chief, Ziad al-Nakhala, Hezbollah said in a statement.

It did not say when the meeting took place.

“An assessment was made of the international positions being taken and what the parties of the Axis of Resistance must do … to realise a real victory for the resistance in Gaza and Palestinian and to halt the brutal aggression,” Hezbollah said.

“There was agreement on continuing the coordination.”

Hezbollah announced on Wednesday that two more of its fighters were killed, increasing the death toll in its ranks to 40 fighters since the start of the conflict.