The Wall Street Journal reports that Israeli authorities plan to conduct a large-scale ground operation in the Gaza Strip. According to the newspaper, the leadership of Israel believes that capturing and maintaining a significant part of the Palestinian enclave will allow them to achieve a decisive victory over Hamas.

Israel is making plans for a potential major ground offensive in Gaza that would involve sending tens of thousands of troops into combat to clear and occupy large swaths of the enclave, an Israeli official and a second source familiar with the matter said.

Troops push into northern towns, expand a buffer zone and issue evacuation orders in the south