Netanyahu insists Israel preparing to invade Gaza, declines to say when

Israel is preparing a ground invasion of Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said in a televised statement, but he declined to provide any details on the timing or other information about the operation.

He said on Wednesday the decision on when forces would go into the blockaded Palestinian enclave would be taken by the government's special war cabinet.

Netanyahu's latest statement came amid reports that Israel has agreed to delay an expected ground invasion of Gaza for now so that the United States can rush missile defences to the region to protect US troops there.

US officials have so far persuaded Israel to hold off until US air-defence systems can be placed in the region, as early as later this week, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US and Israeli officials.

Threats to the US troops were of paramount concern, it said.

Washington was scrambling to deploy nearly a dozen air defence systems, including for its troops serving in Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates, the Journal said.

The US military and other officials believe their forces will be targeted by Palestinian group Hamas once Israel launches its ground invasion of Gaza, according to the report.

Reuters reported on Monday that Washington advised Israel to hold off on a ground assault in Gaza and is keeping Qatar — a broker with the Palestinian group Hamas — apprised of those talks as its tries to free more hostages and prepare for a possible wider regional war.

Last week Reuters reported the Pentagon planned to send two Iron Dome missile defence systems to Israel to help it defend itself against inbound missiles, and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and additional Patriot air defense missile system battalions to the Middle East.