WATCH: IDF rehearses combat ahead of Gaza ground invasion
As it gears up for its expected ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, the IDF has distributed an additional 10,000 bullet-proof vests.
The IDF's air and ground forces have increased their joint training of varying scenarios for the upcoming invasion of Gaza.
Despite now an extensive delay of the invasion into the third week of the war, all signals from top IDF officials on Monday are that the invasion is still not a question of it, but a question of when.
IDF sources have said that Iron Dome's success has given Israel more time to work with to select whatever moment its political echelon chooses to invade Gaza.
According to the IDF, both mandatory service and reservists soldiers remain in a state of high motivation and the current drills are high quality interweaving infantry, tanks, artillery, and aerial forces.
There is an unusual increase in crossover meetings at all levels between the air and ground forces to work on "nuts and bolts" type issues for urban warfare, beyond just cooperation at the higher strategic levels.The IDF distributes an additional 10,000 bulletproof vests.
Presuming the invasion is longer and deeper into Gaza's cities than ever before, it will be harder for the air force to protect the ground forces and to distinguish between hitting them and hitting Hamas terrorists.
Also, with around 200 hostages in Gaza, there will be new scenarios and timing issues that the air and ground forces will need to address, such as making last minute determinations about an attack where there is uncertainty about whether hostages are in the vicinity of a potential battle.
An IDF source has said that even the special forces have never dealt with anything remotely like the current situation with so many hostages.
Another 10,000 bulletproof vests
Besides ongoing training, the IDF announced it had handed out another 10,000 bulletproof vests to reservists.
The IDF said it would continue to hand out bullet proof vests and other critical items to reservists.
It was unclear what the pace would be and if there will be enough for all 360,000 reservists (taking into account that many reservists are not in combat or not in the infantry) but an IDF source said that every soldier who was part of the Gaza invasion would have a bullet proof vest.
One possibility for continued delay of the invasion could even be insuring that promise is fulfilled, which the political class could also be concerned about in terms of explaining future IDF casualties.
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