Biden administration concerned clear objectives lacking in Israel's planned Gaza ground campaign

A top U.S. Marines Corps deputy, Lt.-Gen. James Glynn, has reportedly been sent to Israel to help the Israel Defense Forces in an advisory role, as the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is allegedly concerned that Israel lacks clearly achievable military objectives for a ground invasion, according to a report in Axios media.

Glynn was the head of the U.S. Marine Forces Special Operations Command and also served in directing operations against ISIS in Iraq.

A Pentagon spokesperson told Axios: “We have asked several officials with relevant experience simply to help Israeli officials think through the difficult questions ahead and explore their options. The IDF will, as always, make its own decisions.”

Top U.S. defense officials have been in regular contact with Israeli counterparts since the Hamas invasion on Oct. 7.

Israel is reportedly considering two different types of operations for its Gaza campaign: A combination of surgical airstrikes and special operations raids, as the U.S. did in Mosul, or a large ground invasion, as the U.S. and the British did in Fallujah.

The extensive tunneling network under Gaza, constructed by the Hamas terror group over the years, is a major concern for both IDF and U.S. officials.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that Hamas has had much longer to prepare for an IDF invasion than ISIS had to prepare for a U.S. military attack.

“Urban combat is extremely difficult. It goes at a slow pace,” Austin said in an interview with ABC news program, 'This Week.'

“This may be a bit more difficult because of the underground network of tunnels that Hamas has constructed over time and the fact that they have had a long time to prepare for a fight.”

The Times of Israel also reported that several U.S. officials expressed concerns that Israel does not have an achievable military plan of action for removing Hamas.

IDF senior officers are pushing for a ground invasion, and reportedly growing impatient with the political leadership for delaying the ground campaign, according to local media.

IDF leaders believe Hamas is using small hostage releases to delay the ground campaign to buy more time to prepare, according to the Times of Israel, which said the leaders believe an invasion could pressure Hamas to release more hostages as it faces heavy losses from fighting against the IDF.

IDF spokesman Doron Spielman said the release is an attempt to buy time.

“Hamas is trying to paint itself as a human rights organization now. They've given back two of the hostages but the real face of evil is still there,” Spielman said.

“In the past, they hid under their own civilians waiting for us to kill them - and then they turn to America and the international community and claim human rights violations so we'll stop, so they can regroup,” Spielman explained.

He said the IDF has no intention of allowing them time to recover.

“This is just another tactic for them to try to get us to stop. But they're mistaken. Hamas is an evil that has to be stopped completely. And that's what we're going to do.”

The New York Times reported that U.S. officials are also concerned that a Gaza invasion would increase attacks on U.S. positions in the Middle East over its support for Israel.

By delaying the ground invasion, the U.S. hopes to reinforce its positions in the Middle East, in the event that the conflict widens into a larger regional war.