Israel would need a massive ground assault with tanks to rescue hostages in Gaza that would be a 'bloody mess' and devastate civilian areas, retired 4-star general says

Mon, 10/09/2023 - 00:25

Ret. Gen. Barry McCaffrey speaks at a conference in 2014, next to an image of Palestinians taking a hostage from Israel. — "There will be no good tactical solutions for the IDF," McCaffrey tweeted.
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP and Hatem Ali/AP

Rescuing hostages from Hamas would require a "massive" ground attack, said Ret. Gen. Barry McCaffrey.
Israel has to punch into the dense Gaza strip with tanks and troops, and conduct searches, he said.
The rescue effort would be a "bloody mess" and "catastrophic" to Palestinian civilians, he warned.

Israel must launch a fierce ground assault in the Gaza strip with armor and infantry if it hopes to recover dozens of hostages held by Hamas, retired four-star US Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey said.