IDF takes operational control of two-thirds of Gaza Strip

Yahoo

9 hours ago

The Israeli air force struck over 100 terror targets across Gaza in the past 24 hours, the IDF said earlier.
The IDF has taken operational control of over 65% of the Gaza Strip, with over 100 terrorists killed in the last week, the IDF and Shin Bet announced Friday evening.
The terrorists killed in the Southern Command over the past week included the head of the Combat Support Staff in Hamas's military wing, Hakham Muhammad Issa al-Issa, a division head in the Khan Yunis Brigade operations department, Mohammed Al-Sheikh, a company commander in the Zaytoun Battalion, Issa Abbas, and a company commander in the Sabra Battalion, Mohammed Jarasha. They were killed by troops under the guidance of Shin Bet and military intelligence.
As part of the operation, Divisions 98 and 162 attacked Hamas's Gaza Brigade terrorists in northern Gaza.
The Israeli air force struck over 100 terror targets across Gaza in the past 24 hours, the IDF said earlier. Since the renewed Gaza operations began, the Air Force has struck over 7,500 sites used by terrorist organizations, including weapon storage depots, rocket launchers, underground tunnels, and terrorists.
Divisions 98, 99, 162, 36, and 143 are all operating within the Gaza Strip.
An illustration of a map demonstrating the operational deployment in the Gaza Strip.
Division 98 destroyed several explosives embedded in the ground, meant to harm IDF troops, as it continued to operate in the area of Gaza City in the last week. Troops destroyed weapon depots and killed terrorists both in close-quarter combat and in airstrikes guided by the division's fire control center.
Division 99 guided several airstrikes in northern Gaza as it continued to operate in the area to destroy terror infrastructure above and below ground.
Division 162 killed terrorists, seized weapons, and destroyed terror tunnels in northern Gaza.
The IDF announced earlier on Friday that Sgt. Yair Eliyahou, 19, was killed during operational activity in the Beit Hanoun area of the northern Gaza Strip.
Division 36 operated in Khan Yunis. In the last day, troops seized weapons and killed terrorists in a series of rapid airstrikes.
In Khan Yunis, Sgt. Zamir, 19, who served in the 53rd Armored Corps Battalion in the 188th Brigade under the 36th Division, was killed when a terrorist fired an anti-tank missile at the tank he was in.
In the incident in which he was killed, two soldiers in the 53rd Armored Corps Battalion, 188th Battalion, were severely wounded, and another was moderately wounded.
During the operation to remove the wounded from the tank, an explosion occurred in a second tank, likely due to an anti-tank missile or an additional explosive that was triggered at the site, Army Radio said.
IDF in Arabic Spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings to those in certain areas of Khan Yunis on Friday afternoon.
"The IDF is operating with extreme force in the area and will attack any area used to launch rockets towards the state of Israel," he said, specifically noting blocks 107 to 112 and the eastern part of block 88.
He added that the civilians in those areas should evacuate west and "refrain from returning to the dangerous combat zones."
Division 143 operated in Rafah while also securing communities in the western Negev, according to the military.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.