The military statement posted online said the incursion was carried out “in preparation for the next stages of combat.”
REUTERS OCTOBER 26, 2023 07:52
Updated: OCTOBER 26, 2023 08:42
Israeli ground forces operated within the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday, attacking multiple Hamas targets before withdrawing, the military said in a statement on what Israel’s Army Radio described as the biggest incursion of the current war.
Video of the overnight action issued by the military showed armored vehicles proceeding through a sandy border zone. A bulldozer is seen leveling part of a raised bank, tanks fire shells, and explosions are seen near or amid a row of damaged buildings.
In preparation for the next stages of combat, the IDF operated in northern Gaza. IDF tanks & infantry struck numerous terrorist cells, infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch posts. The soldiers have since exited the area and returned to Israeli territory. pic.twitter.com/oMdSDR84rU
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 26, 2023
The military statement posted online said the incursion was carried out “in preparation for the next stages of combat”, a possible reference to the large-scale invasion that Israeli leaders have threatened as part of the war to destroy Hamas.
“The soldiers have since exited the area and returned to Israeli territory,” the military statement added.
Israel began localized ground incursions on Sunday as the war, triggered by an Oct 7 cross-border rampage by Hamas terrorists, entered its third week. Israel’s Army Radio described Thursday’s incursion as the biggest yet.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas in Gaza.
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