The IDF is in the midst of preparations for a major ground operation in Gaza, according to the American news network NBC, based on civilian satellite imagery it purchased and presented to American experts in the field.
According to the report, four separate sources who are experts in military activity and familiar with IDF operational patterns claimed that the images show a significant buildup of forces and equipment ahead of a possible operation within Gaza territory.
Meanwhile, the world continues to respond to this morning's Cabinet decision on capturing Gaza City. Australia called on Israel "not to go down this path," saying it would "only worsen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza."
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that "permanent forced displacement is a violation of international law," and that Australia continues to call for a ceasefire, the return of hostages, and unlimited aid flow. "A two-state solution is the only pathway to secure an enduring peace – a Palestinian state and the State of Israel, living side-by-side in peace and security within internationally recognised borders," she said in a statement.
EXCLUSIVE: Commercial satellite images show the Israeli military building up troops and equipment near the border with Gaza that would support a possible new ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave, according to three U.S. officials and a former official who viewed the…
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 8, 2025
Skeptical voices were also heard in the United States. Aaron David Miller, who served as an envoy from the US State Department to the Middle East, told CNN that the operation will be "extremely difficult to pull off." US Ambassador Mike Huckabee said that the decision regarding Gaza is reserved for Israel. "It's not our job to tell them what they should or should not do," Huckabee said.
