Israel Conducts Overnight ‘Targeted Raid’ with Tanks in Northern Gaza – News18

Last Updated: October 26, 2023, 11:11 IST

Israeli soldiers drive an armored personal carrier (APC) in the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. (AP File Photo)

Israel-Hamas war: IDF said troops struck numerous terrorists, infrastructure and anti-tank guided missile launch positions

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a “targeted raid” overnight in northern Gaza with tanks and infantry, it said in a statement Thursday, as it prepared its forces for a ground invasion. “Overnight, the IDF conducted a targeted raid using tanks in the northern Gaza Strip, as part of preparations for the next stages of combat,” the Israeli army said in a statement. “The soldiers exited the area at the end of the activity.”

The Israeli military, which accuses Hamas of operating among civilians, said its strikes killed militants and destroyed military targets. Gaza militants have fired unrelenting rocket barrages into Israel since the conflict started more than two weeks ago. On Thursday, IDF said troops struck numerous terrorists, infrastructure and anti-tank guided missile launch positions. The Israeli military added that the raid is part of preparing the border area for the “next stages of the war,” referring to a full ground offensive.

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

This raid comes less than a day after the UN warned Wednesday that it is on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip, forcing it to sharply curtail relief efforts in the territory. The warning was issued as hospitals in Gaza struggled to treat masses of wounded with dwindling resources in the wake of continuing Israeli airstrikes.

Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said more than 750 people were killed over the past 24 hours. The rising death toll in Gaza was unprecedented in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to UN agencies. Even greater loss of life could come if Israel launches an expected ground offensive aimed at crushing Hamas, an Islamic militant group sworn to Israel’s destruction.

The Gaza Health Ministry says more than 6,500 Palestinians have been killed in the war. The figure includes the disputed toll from an explosion at a hospital last week. The fighting has killed more than 1,400 people in Israel during the initial Hamas attack. Hamas also holds some 222 hostages in Gaza.

(With agency inputs)