The Israeli military has struck dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip in another limited advance by its ground forces. The army also carried out air strikes again and drones were also used.
In recent days, Israel’s army has attacked targets in the Gaza Strip in several limited forays by ground forces. Last night, troops also advanced into the Gaza Strip and attacked dozens of positions belonging to the militant Islamist Hamas, the Israeli military said.
In addition to ground troops, armored vehicles were also used in the renewed advance. In addition, combat aircraft and drones were used to carry out air strikes in the center “and everywhere in the Gaza Strip”. The attack could have destroyed, among other things, launch pads for anti-tank missiles and command centers used by Hamas. The Israeli army said terrorist militia fighters were also killed.
After the attacks, the soldiers involved withdrew from the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military reported no injuries in its own ranks.
Conflict parties as a source
In the current situation, information on the course of the war, shelling and casualties provided by the Palestinian and Israeli conflict parties cannot be directly verified by an independent body.
Preparations for “next phase of battle”
The repeated advances by Israeli troops are seen as preparation for a possible ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. The army itself had also stated that it wanted to prepare “the next phase of the fight” in this way. However, the Israeli government has so far left it open as to when an offensive might begin.
The military preparations for this step have been “largely completed,” reported ARD correspondent Christian Limpert from Tel Aviv. When deciding on a ground offensive, however, “a second level” plays a role – “that of diplomacy and politics.” On the one hand, this included the negotiations over the release of the hostages taken prisoner by Hamas. On Thursday, Israel stated that there were still 224 hostages in the hands of the terrorist militia.
But international pressure in view of the catastrophic humanitarian situation of the population in the Gaza Strip could also influence Israel Limpert.