MOSCOW, October 22. /TASS/. The Israeli army is ready for a ground operation in the Gaza Strip but it has not yet been decided when to begin it, Israeli Ambassador to Russia Alexander Ben Zvi told TASS.

"I cannot say anything definite about the date because I don’t have such information. It may begin soon or not soon. It will begin when we are in an advantageous situation to begin a ground operation. When we have a strategic decision of our leadership that this operation should begin. The military is ready for this," he said.

When asked whether it could be said that once the military is ready, the date has been set, he answered, "No. the Military is ready, the date has not been set. These are two different things."

The ambassador told TASS on Friday that Israel had made a decision on the launch of a ground operation in Gaza.

Tensions flared up in the Middle East after Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip attacked Israeli territory. Hamas views its attack as a response to Israeli authorities’ steps against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also reported in the West Bank.