Softening the Ultimate Target

"In terms of the operational aspects of manoeuvring, at the end of the day, nothing will stop the IDF. It is a combination of two things: Our aerial capabilities and ground manoeuvring."

"This  should be our last manoeuvring operation in Gaza, for the simple reason that afterwards there will be no more Hamas."

"It may take a month, two or three, but at the end there will be no more Hamas. Prior to meeting our armed forces on the ground, the enemy [Hamas terrorists], will be faced with IAF strikes."

Israeli Defense Minister Yaov Gallant

Rockets (l) are seen in the night sky fired towards Israel from Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on May 14, 2021, while Iron Dome interceptors rise to meet them (Photo by ANAS BABA / AFP)

Hundreds of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets were struck by the Israeli Air Force in Gaza on Monday. The strikes targeted tunnels with Hamas terrorists known to be within, while infantry and armoured corps conducted raids on the ground in preparation for a wider ground offensive in the enclave.

 

According to Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, dozens of operational command centres that housed Hamas and PIJ operatives were hit as well. Targets that posed a threat to forces in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip, including dozens of mortar and antitank missile launch sites were also hit.

 

Armoured and infantry units are engaged and raids being conducted into Gaza for the purpose of hitting terror cells in what is described as "preparing for our next stage" and simultaneously probing for information on the several hundred Israeli citizens taken hostage by Hamas. Those considered to be 'missing' and possibly dead whose bodies have not yet been recovered are also part of the information-gathering process.

Anti-tank missile attacks on Sunday killed one Israeli soldier, injuring three; every casualty considered a catastrophe in the Israeli mentality of the sacredness of human life - all human life. In contrast to the oft-declared position of the Islamist terrorist groups who boast of their love for death; as martyrs devoted to the demands of Islam and adhering to those same precepts, in delivering death to Jews. The tank and engineering vehicles were struck during a raid inside Gaza.

All of the activity represents part of the effort by the Israeli military to clearly establish the reality of Israel's pledge to destroy Hamas, its infrastructure and weaponry and to include the PIJ for the very same reasons linked to Israel's security and the safety of its citizens. Dismantling the terror infrastructure in its entirety cannot come soon enough for a population weary of continuous threats against its very existence.

The current goal is to clear the area of terrorists while dismantling their infrastructure and weapons. And of great urgency, to locate missing people and bodies. Since the October 7 deadly assault on southern Israel, the military recovered over one thousand bodies of terrorists, aside from the numbers it has captured alive. "This testifies to the courage of the security forces and civilian (security) teams who fought in the opening stages" before the IDF was fully deployed, explained spokesperson Daniel Hagari.

The aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, Oct. 21, 2023. Flash90 / Abed Rahim Khatib

"Any other supplies, fuels, are not entering Gaza and we are supervising to ensure that Hamas is not taking UNRWA supplies. We watch this aerially and if needed we will take action."

"Our operational readiness is improving. Even as we speak, there is an air campaign underway, hitting terrorists that are preparing for the next stage."

"Hence we are taking advantage of [the] time to improve our readiness to enable [the] ground manoeuver."

Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari