Israel's military chief said "Now is the time for war" as his country amassed tanks near the Gaza Strip ahead of a planned ground invasion to annihilate the Palestinian militant Hamas group that rules the enclave and was behind deadly weekend attacks.
Hamas, which controls the strip, told residents to stay put, and vowed to fight to the last drop of blood. By Friday afternoon there was no sign of any mass exodus as Israel prepared its onslaught.
Putting aside the insane logistical effort required, is Hamas just going to conveniently stay in the north to get bombed?
Yes.