The Israeli army announced this Monday the “expansion of the operation” in the Gaza Strip. and noted that “additional forces,” including infantry and armored vehicles, had entered the enclave as part of an offensive launched following attacks carried out by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on October 7.

This was stated by Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari. “expanded ground operation in the Gaza Strip” with “ground forces, tanks and infantry” who are “moving towards the terrorists,” according to a statement published by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on its website.

“Terrorists are gathering in assembly areas to try to attack our forces, and we are attacking them from the air,” he said, adding that “dozens of terrorists” had died in the final hours after “fortified themselves in the buildings and attempted to attack the forces advancing in their direction.”

“We advance on the ground, identify terrorists and attack from the air. There is also direct contact between ground forces and terrorists.. “There is fighting inside the Gaza Strip,” he said, without mentioning possible casualties among the Israeli military.

Thus, Hagari noted that the Israeli army “constantly analyzes the situation, which is gradually developing, in accordance with operational plans.” “Offensive activity will continue and will intensify depending on the stages of the war and its goals,” he emphasized.

On the other hand, he assured that Israeli forces “they are on alert” on the border with Lebanon and Syria and warned that “any terrorist force that Hezbollah sends to the border fence will die.” “Any terrorist group that tries to open fire on our territory will die,” he added.

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Hagari further noted that ‘Several terrorists’ died in early morning attack in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. “Armed terrorists who came into contact with our forces were eliminated from the air,” he said.

The operation waskilled with the deaths of at least four Palestinians, according to the Ministry of Health, which is dependent on the Palestinian Authority. The four would be members of the armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, according to both groups, which indicated that an Israeli soldier was killed in the fighting, which has not been confirmed by the Israeli army.

“We will continue the fight against terrorism”to ensure security in Judea and Samaria -biblical name for the West Bank used by Israeli authorities to refer to the territory. It is very important that residents follow the instructions of the commander of the Central Command,” Hagari emphasized.

In a different way, The number of dead soldiers rose to 312, and those kidnapped to 239. during Hamas attacks that killed approximately 1,400 people. “The problem of kidnapped people is not national, but global,” Hagari stressed, pointing to the “moral responsibility” of international institutions when it comes to “doing everything possible to ensure that they return home.”

Authorities in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip reported the deaths of more than 8,000 Palestinians in the explosions of the enclave. To this figure must be added more than a hundred Palestinians killed in Israeli security operations and settler attacks in the West Bank.

(Europe Press)