New York [US], October 24: The US has advised Israel to delay a planned ground offensive in the Gaza Strip to destroy the Islamist Hamas movement, according to a newspaper report.The US government hopes to obtain more time for negotiations to secure the release of more than 200 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, the New York Times reported on Sunday, citing US government officials. The aim is to avoid further civilian casualties and to ensure that more humanitarian aid reaches the population in the blockaded Gaza Strip. Israel is expected to launch a ground offensive as part of its retaliation after Hamas killed hundreds of people and kidnapped more than 200 in terrorist attacks on Israeli territory on October 7.In a surprise move, Hamas released two US hostages on Friday, prompting the US government to advise Israel to postpone the ground offensive, according to the New York Times report.Source: Qatar Tribune