Israeli army ready for ground offensive: IDF chief

JERUSALEM: Israel's military chief today said the army was ready for a ground offensive and that it is upto Hamas to choose between "calm or catastrophe" in Gaza.

"Nothing is stopping us from moving forward," Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Benny Gantz said during a tour of a Paratroopers training base adding, "The IDF is not waiting for the last straw to go on a ground offensive, it's waiting on political instruction".

"Terrorists in Gaza are understanding that they've made a big mistake. In four days we've been intelligently using our offensive means while remembering that there are civilians there that Hamas has turned into hostages," he said.

Gantz went on to say that "strategically, Gaza needs to choose whether it's heading for a calm or to a security catastrophe," Ynetnews quoted him as saying.

"Gaza is slowly sinking to its doom," he added. He noted that "the air offensive is excellent and we have intelligence that works".

"We have what to attack, and we will intensify the attacks. We've yet to exhaust our offensive capabilities," he stressed.