Why the Ground Invasion of Gaza Hasn't Happened Yet

It's been nearly a week since Israel's defense minister ordered troops to prepare to see Gaza "from the inside," and more than two weeks since it called up 360,000 Israel Defense Forces reservists and readied tanks along the border. The expected ground invasion has yet to begin. Some takes on why:

• NBC News runs down a number of potential reasons: that Israel is hoping to get more hostages released first; that concerns remain Hezbollah could open up a second front to the north; and that, per a source, the government hasn't yet established an exit strategy regarding how and when Israeli troops would leave.

• ABC News speaks to Chuck Freilich, a former deputy national security adviser in Israel, who notes the bulk of the IDF's 605,000 active members are reservists (fewer than 6% are full-time soldiers) and suggests they may need more time to get prepped for combat. He also suggests Israel is dispensing with speed in favor of getting it "right" by coming up with a strategy that will minimize "collateral, political, and long-term damage," as ABC News puts it.
• Haaretz sees a ground invasion as a sure thing but says the "when and how" depend on US President Biden. His visit to Israel was, yes, a demonstration of public support for Israel, "but he also sought to gain control of the situation and make America's views heard before Israel makes any decisions."
• And the Biden administration has some concerns, at least in the New York Times' telling: specifically, that Israel "lacks achievable military objectives in Gaza" and that the IDF doesn't yet have a plan it can effectively carry out. While the White House emphasized to the paper it isn't telling Israel what to do, the Times reports it has sent officers to advise. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Glynn is among them: The AP reports he helped lead special operations forces against ISIS and will be advising on how to minimize civilian casualties.

(More Israel-Hamas war stories.)