Israeli forces have begun a counterterror operation in the Khan Yunis area of the southern Gaza Strip following intelligence reports about renewed enemy activity there, the IDF said on Friday.
Soldiers under the command of the 98th Paratroopers Division began the offensive in the former Hamas stronghold, killing terrorists while locating and dismantling weaponry and terrorist infrastructure.
צוותי הקרב של חטיבות הנח"ל וגבעתי, בפיקוד אוגדה 162, השמידו ביממה האחרונה אמצעי לחימה ותשתיות טרור, וחיסלו עשרות מחבלים חמושים במרחב בתקיפות כלי טיס, בירי פגזים וצלפים ובהיתקלויות מטווח קרוב>> pic.twitter.com/h7tcHQtDKx
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 9, 2024
In addition, the Israeli Air Force struck more than 30 Hamas targets in Khan Yunis, including weapons storage facilities and areas where terrorists gather. Several terrorists were killed in the strikes, including some who planned and carried out mortar and sniper fire at IDF troops and Israeli civilians.
Israeli forces also remain active in Rafah in southernmost Gaza along the Egyptian border, and in the central Gaza Strip, killing terrorists and destroying terrorist infrastructure via ground and aerial attacks.
An officer from the Nahal Infantry Brigade’s Reconnaissance Battalion was seriously wounded in a battle in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday, the IDF said. His family was updated.
Meanwhile, air-raid sirens sounded in the Ashkelon area on Friday morning, with one rocket intercepted. There were no reports of injuries.
