Israeli military chief says war with Hamas requires ground operation
Israel’s military chief said today marks a new stage in the country's war against Hamas, and that it requires a ground offensive.
“This is a war with multiple stages. Today, we move to the next one,” Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, said in a video released by the IDF. “Our forces are currently operating on the ground in the Gaza Strip. These activities are being supported by precise and heavy fire, all in service of the war's objectives: dismantling Hamas, securing our borders and the supreme effort to return the hostages home.”
“The objectives of this war require a ground operation,” Halevi added, saying, “In order to expose and destroy the enemy there is no other way than to enter its territory with force.”
More context: A ground offensive in Gaza has been widely expected following the October 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas, but it does not appear as though any major operation aimed at seizing and holding significant amounts of the territory is yet underway.
On the ground: Israel Defense Forces announced Saturday that it had struck several Hamas targets in Gaza as part of its expanded ground operation in the strip.
“Since early Friday evening, combined combat forces of armor, combat engineers and infantry have been operating on the ground in the northern Gaza Strip. As part of the operation, IDF soldiers identified terrorist cells attempting to launch anti-tank missiles and mortar shells and struck them. IDF soldiers also identified and destroyed a booby-trapped structure,” the IDF said in a release.
The IDF said that helicopters, under the direction of IDF tanks, struck a building being used by Hamas as an operational meeting point.
The military also said that Israeli soldiers “neutralized” several terrorist cells that attempted to fire anti-tank missiles at them. Forces also struck Hamas members who were located in what was described as a “booby-trapped structure.”
Gaza civilians say they endured the heaviest airstrikes of the conflict so far overnight, taking shelter from the bombardment and mourning those killed in hospitals. A communications blackout has disrupted emergency services and cut off contact between family members.
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