Israel prepared the infantry for a possible ground attack on the Gaza border early Thursday as the army carried out additional airstrikes against Hamas targets – while the militant group renewed rocket fire in the central part of the country.
Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Carnicus told The Post in a phone interview from Peta Tikvah a few miles before Tel Aviv, “Hamas has started preparing infantry and armored units for a ground operation, where Hamas has a little apartment building. Collided. Injured five people.
The Israel Defense Forces have deployed paratroopers, Golani Infantry and members of the 7th Armored Brigade on the border in preparation for possible infiltration.
“The Chief of Staff is inspecting those preparations and providing guidance,” Conaricus said, referring to Lieutenant General Aviv Kochavi.
On Wednesday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed the security cabinet that Israel had officially rejected Hamas’ proposal for a cease-fire, Jerusalem Post reported.
Kochavi called the US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, General Mark Miley, to update the operation, according to the outlet.
On Thursday morning, the IDF hit at least four terrorist cells, which were planning to launch anti-tank guided missiles on behalf of Israel, the Jerusalem Post reported.
“We are waiting for the world to solve our problems. We are attacking Hamas and Islamic Jihad, ”he said, adding that the IDF, in its campaign, has hit some 600 targets in the Gaza Strip, officially terming the Operation Guardian of the Walls.
“We have attacked arms-manufacturing facilities, training grounds, military bases, as well as command centers or staff centers,” Cornicus said.
“The military targets used by Hamas as headquarters are intelligence for their internal security, some of it for their finances, some for their operations in Judea and Samaria,” he said.
In collaboration with the Shin Bet Security Agency, the IDF has also killed at least 40 “operatives or combatants”.
“We were able to surprise these terrorists who were hiding in different places. We delivered a significant blow to the senior army, ”said Cornicus.
The IDF placed Hamas facilities after the Israeli Air Force downed three high-rise buildings that warned civilians to evacuate. Reuters reported that one person was killed by an Israeli missile fired east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
The IDF said in a statement referring to an upcoming neighborhood, “IDF fighter jets and aircraft recently attacked the offices of the military intelligence department of the terrorist organization Hamas in Rimal of the Gaza Strip.”
The owner of a five-story building said he received a call on Thursday from the Israeli military asking him to evacuate before bringing down an airstrip.
“The building is residential, what is there to hit?” Said the man, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The IDF later said that the offices used by Hamas located intelligence offices.
The local health ministry said at least 83 people, including 17 children and six women, had died in Gaza. About 400 Palestinians have been injured.
The IDF said dozens of people killed were militants and Palestinians were born due to some deadly rockets that failed to reach Israel.
On the Israeli side, seven people have been killed, including a 21-year-old soldier and a 6-year-old boy.
According to the latest military data, more than 1,600 rockets have been fired into Israel since Monday.
Cornicus said the Iron Dome air-defense system had an interception rate of about 90 percent in moving projectiles, putting people and critical infrastructure at risk.
“There has been no doubt about how the system has been a full-fledged partner,” he said.
In a fresh airstrike on Thursday, the IDF destroyed a six-story residential building in the heart of Gaza City. Reuters reported that one person was killed by an Israeli missile east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
as a result of Ongoing rocket attack Towards central Israel, the Civil Aviation Authority said it was diverting all passenger flights to Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, south to Ramon Airport.
United, Delta and American Airlines have canceled all flights between the US and Tel Israel.
The IDF also said that Hamas was using children as human shields in a school “to hide a terrorist tunnel – in close proximity to civilian buildings, including a hospital”.
In a statement, it said the military “neutralized the terror tunnel so that Hamas could no longer hide behind innocent children.”
Israel accused the terrorist group of intentionally military bases in densely populated areas to be used as human shields of civilians.
“Basically there is a city under a city in Gaza,” Cornicus said. “There is a wide network of tunnels by Hamas and Islamic Jihad – mostly in areas that are far from the border. The tunnels are mostly used for defensive purposes, which is a way out of our sight. “
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Benny Gantz ordered the summoning of 10 Reserve Border Patrol companies to help police efforts to contain skirmishes in Arab-Jewish cities across the country. The Times of Israel reported.
“We are in a moment of emergency,” Gantz was quoted as saying. “At this time, there is a need for large-scale reinforcements of the army on the ground, which will be sent immediately to enforce law and order.”
Increasing hostilities come as Palestinians mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The fight comes in the form of Eid al-Fitr, the end of a month of daily fasting that is usually a festive time when families shop for new clothes and gather for big feasts.
Instead, Hamas urged believers to offer communal Eid prayers in their homes or nearby mosques instead of going out in the open.
Hassan Abu Shaban tried to lighten the mood by offering candy to passers-by after prayers, but admitted “there is no atmosphere for Eid.”
“It’s all airstrikes, destruction and mayhem,” he said. “May God help everyone.”
Meanwhile, Cornicus said, the IDF is “ready to continue operations against Hamas, whose aggression is completely unacceptable. The purpose of our military operations is to show this clearly.”
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