The Israeli army announced Friday that its ground forces backed up by fighter jets and drones conducted a targeted raid in Gaza the day before, as it prepares for a military invasion.
The military published black-and-white footage of a column of armored vehicles as a thick cloud of dust billowed into the sky following the strikes.
Israel Defense Forces tweeted, “OPERATIONAL UPDATE: The IDF conducted strikes on Hamas terrorist targets over the last 24 hours”, through its official ‘X’ handle.
OPERATIONAL UPDATE: The IDF conducted strikes on Hamas terrorist targets over the last 24 hours.
IDF ground troops, fighter jets and UAVs struck:
🔴 Anti-tank missile launch sites
🔴 Command & control centers
🔴 Hamas terrorist operativesThe troops exited the area and no… pic.twitter.com/yNdiY6XTby
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 27, 2023
“During the last day, IDF ground forces, accompanied by IDF fighter jets and UAVs, conducted an additional targeted raid in the central Gaza Strip”, the statement from Israel Defense Forces reads.
“The IDF identified and struck numerous terror targets, including anti-tank missile launch sites, military command, and control centres, as well as Hamas terrorists”, the statement reads. It added that forces exited the area at the end of the activity.
The army had carried out a similar ground operation with tanks and infantry the night before in the northern part of the Palestinian territory.
The latest incursions occurred after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated earlier this week that Israel was preparing for a ground offensive.
According to Israeli officials, on October 7, crowds of Hamas gunmen flooded into Israel, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and capturing 224 more.
As per numbers released by the Hamas-controlled health ministry, at least 7,028 individuals have been killed in Gaza as a result of retaliatory Israeli air and artillery strikes, including 2,913 children.
The number of deaths in Gaza is at its highest since Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Palestinian territory in 2005.
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