Many days have dragged on since the initial Hamas attack on Israel without the anticipated ground assault into Gaza by the Israelis kicking off. This has led to recent speculation that there might not even be a counteroffensive on the ground, with Israel continuing to flatten the northern part of the strip from the air. (Which they’ve been doing on a daily basis.) But this morning the speculation appears to have come to an end. One Israeli minister told reporters that the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has been given the “green light” to move into Gaza in force and “eradicate” the Hamas terrorists. And they won’t be pulling any punches, “even if it takes a year.” He said that the IDF has been authorized to turn the Hamas tunnels into “the world’s biggest cemetery.” So it sounds like we’re getting close to go-time. (Daily Wire)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has the “green light” to enter Gaza to eradicate the Islamic terrorists responsible for murdering 1,400+ Israelis in a terrorist attack last weekend.

Economy Minister Nir Barakat said that the IDF was given the “green light” to enter Gaza and that their primary objective is to find all the terrorists and to “wipe them out” … “even if it takes a year.”

He said that he would not discuss the IDF’s specific plans on when it will enter Gaza, only that they have been given the authorization to enter and begin their ground offensive.

The only official statement from the Israeli government thus far is coming from Economy Minister Nir Barakat. But it’s unlikely in the extreme that he would have made such a pronouncement unless the decision had come down directly from Bibi Netanyahu. What is equally obvious is that the Prime Minister has been able to shrug off all of the global calls for a “ceasefire” or warnings to not be “consumed by rage.”

Of course, this doesn’t resemble “rage” at all on the part of Benjamin Netanyahu. He is simply demonstrating resolve and the intent to make good on his promise to “destroy” Hamas and prevent them from ever attempting another terror attack like the recent one that killed thousands of his people. If another front opens up in the war as a result, Bibi will cross that bridge when he comes to it.

This isn’t going to be easy and won’t be quick. It’s probably not an underestimate that Nir Barakat said “even if it takes a year.” Hamas has been constructing tunnels and building tank traps for decades. (That’s where most of your aid money to “help the innocent Palestinian civilians” goes, in case you haven’t heard.) For most experienced military planners, this will likely be a worst-case scenario, particularly in Gaza City. We’re talking about driving tanks and armored personnel carriers through streets that are obviously littered with explosive devices. There will be door to door fighting, with the IDF having to distinguish between Hamas fighters, civilians, and potentially even hostages.

Inevitably, mistakes will be made. People are going to die, including IDF soldiers, Hamas fighters, civilians, and sadly even hostages. Media outlets around the world will be quick to decry Israel’s actions as “atrocities” or some sort of “genocide.” We should all be prepared for that because we know it’s coming. In fact, it started happening even before the ground offensive was initially announced. Formerly clandestine Nazis will continue protesting, sometimes violently. And the war could still expand to multiple fronts and entangle other countries, potentially including the United States. But if there is some other reasonable, rational alternative, I certainly haven’t heard anyone suggest it. We are where we are and we are here because of a decision made by Hamas and Iran. The only advice I would offer everyone else is to brace for impact.