One of the officers leading the support operations is Marine Lt. Gen. James Glenn, who previously helped lead special operations forces against ISIS and served in Fallujah, Iraq, during some of the most heated urban battles there, according to a U.S. official.
Glenn will also provide advice on how to mitigate civilian casualties in urban warfare, the official said.
Imminent ground operation
Israel is preparing a large-scale ground operation in an environment where Hamas fighters have had years to prepare tunnel networks and set traps throughout the dense urban areas of northern Gaza.
John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, said Monday that Glenn and other military officers advising Israel “have appropriate experience for the types of operations Israel conducts.”
The military team is one of several fast-moving pieces the Pentagon is putting together to try to prevent the already raging conflict between Israel and Hamas from becoming a broader war. It is also trying to protect American personnel, who in the past few days have been subjected to repeated attacks that the Pentagon said were likely supported by Iran.
Kirby said Iran “in some cases actively facilitates these attacks and motivates others who may want to exploit the conflict to their advantage, or to its advantage. We know that Iran’s goal is to maintain some level of deniability here. But we will not allow them to do that.”
The United States also advised Israeli officials to consider delaying any ground attack, saying that would give more time to allow the United States to work with its regional partners to release more hostages, according to a US official familiar with the Biden administration’s thinking on the matter.
It is unclear to what extent this will influence Israeli thinking, said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss private discussions.
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