Israel Agrees to U.S. Request to Delay Invasion of Gaza

Israel has agreed, for now, to a request from the U.S. to delay its expected ground invasion of Gaza so the Pentagon can place air defenses in the region to protect U.S. troops, according to U.S. officials and people familiar with the Israeli planning.

The Pentagon is rushing to deploy nearly a dozen air-defense systems to the region, including for U.S. troops serving in Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates, to protect American forces from missiles and rockets. U.S. officials have so far persuaded the Israelis to hold off on sending tanks and foot soldiers into Gaza to end Hamas rule until those pieces can be placed in the region, as early as later this week.