Israel has agreed to delay the invasion of Gaza for now, so the US can rush missile defenses to the region, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing US and Israeli officials.
US military officials were trying to convince Israel against carrying out a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas's October 7 massacre, CNN reported on Wednesday citing "several sources familiar with the matter."
As per the report, American officials advised the IDF against a counter-invasion, with the fear it could "endanger hostages, civilians, and further inflame tensions in the region."
US urges Israel against invasion, more precision airstrikes
Instead, the IDF was urged to deploy a "combination of precision airstrikes and targeted special operations raids" across the Strip.
The United States has sent a significant amount of naval power to the Middle East in recent weeks, including two aircraft carriers, their support ships and about 2,000 Marines.
Washington is on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed groups as regional tensions soar during the Israel-Hamas war.
This is a developing story.