The IDF's 70% Solution for Defining Territorial Control of Enemy Areas in Gaza

Forced to start from scratch to plan and define how to maneuver and attack in the Gaza Strip, and in the face of profound skepticism from both the political leadership and many seasoned officers, the IDF is finding its footing to effectively fight in the complicated urban landscape of the Gaza Strip, according to Ynet military correspondent Yoav Zeitoun.

Among other developments, the IDF's units are working in far closer coordination with each other, not just in greater numbers, and the logistics teams are working to ensure every shell fired counts and is counted, so that the army constantly approaches maximal effectiveness.

According to Zeitoun, the IDF has now come up with the rough metric of occupying and clearing out at least 70% of a given enemy territory, leaving the remaining 30% to be cleared by more targeted, pinpoint raids during a more extended period.

The IDF says that its maneuvers in the Gaza Strip will not end in January, only change form, with changes in direction decided on every couple of weeks.