Israeli troops hit 150 underground Hamas sites in Gaza, eliminate several 'terrorists'
Israel-Hamas war: The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has claimed that their overnight ground operation in the Gaza Strip involved clashes between troops and Hamas terrorists, according to The Times of Israel.
During these clashes, no soldiers were reported to have been injured. The IDF believes that the raid resulted in the elimination of several Hamas terrorists as well as the destruction of terrorist infrastructure.
As of now, IDF infantry, combat engineering forces, and tanks are still inside Gaza, indicating that the ground operation is still underway. This operation has been referred to by the IDF as an "expanded ground activity" rather than a full-fledged ground offensive.
Additionally, IDF fighter jets attacked approximately 150 underground targets in northern Gaza tonight. Terrorists from the terrorist organization Hamas were killed during the attack, and combat tunnels, underground combat spaces, and other underground terrorist infrastructures were destroyed.
Israeli fighter jets also targeted Asem Abu Rakaba, the commander of Hamas' aerial array. Abu Rakaba was responsible for Hamas' UAVs, drones, paragliders, aerial detection, and defence.
Rakaba, according to the IDF, was involved in the planning of the October 7 massacre, commanded the terrorists who infiltrated Israel on paragliders, and was responsible for drone attacks on IDF posts.
Due to disruptions in internet and phone services caused by Israeli bombardment, Palestinian reports from Gaza have become scarce.
As the situation unfolds, the extent of the IDF's operation in Gaza remains unknown. Heavy bombardment, sustained artillery fire, and the sounds of fighter jets were heard in Ashkelon, near the Gaza border, during what appeared to be the most intense night of fighting in the ongoing war with Hamas.
The IDF announced on Friday that it was "expanding ground operations" in Gaza and "operating forcefully," though no specifics on the number of troops involved were provided.
- ANI
