Israeli forces attacked more than 100 terrorist targets in central and southern areas of the Gaza Strip in the last couple of days, where much of the fighting is currently concentrated.
The Israel Defense Forces carried out strikes by air, sea, and ground forces, the military said on Friday, noting that it targeted Hamas command centers, launch positions, weapons depots, and other infrastructure.
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The IDF said it completed an operation in central Gaza in a neighborhood with high-rise buildings that the IDF said were “used as anti-tank missile and machine gun fire positions.” The Israeli forces killed multiple terrorists, and they said they found a “chemical laboratory for the production of weapons.”
The first couple weeks of their military operation focused on the northern part of the Gaza Strip, and while there still are limited operations going on there, most of the fighting is now in the south, which is where an overwhelming majority of Palestinian civilians have fled — as urged by the IDF itself.
The IDF recently announced a reduction of its military presence in Gaza, even as fighting continues and the Palestinian death toll rises. The Hamas-controlled health ministry has reported a collective death toll of more than 22,000 since the war broke out three months ago, though that number includes both civilians and combatants. A military spokesperson told NBC News on Friday that roughly 9,000 terrorists had been killed, meaning civilians would make up more than half the total number of Palestinians killed in the war. Israeli officials are quick to point out that Hamas insulates itself within civilian communities to incur civilian casualties among its own population intentionally.
In northern Gaza, Israeli forces “will transition to a new combat approach in accordance with the military achievements on the ground” during the upcoming phase of the war, according to a plan put out by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. It will include raids, the destruction of tunnels, military action by air and ground, as well as special operations.
His plan calls on the IDF to retain control of the strip once the war ends and for local Palestinians to play a role in civil affairs.
Gallant’s plan also called on Israel not to resettle Israelis into Gaza, which has become a lightning rod issue. Far-right Israeli government officials, including some within the prime minister’s party, believe Israel should resettle in Gaza, which has raised concerns from international leaders, who believe the rhetoric and idea are dangerous.
The Biden administration has publicly criticized those Israeli politicians who have called for Palestinians to be relocated to other countries.
“The United States rejects recent statements from Israeli Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement. “This rhetoric is inflammatory and irresponsible. We have been told repeatedly and consistently by the Government of Israel, including by the Prime Minister, that such statements do not reflect the policy of the Israeli government. They should stop immediately.”
Despite the dispute on whether there should be a “voluntary migration” of Palestinian people from Gaza, nearly all Israeli leaders agree that Hamas cannot remain in power at the end of the war.
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Israel maintains its goal is to remove Hamas from power and to demilitarize the group, though it’s unclear how feasible such a goal is and when it could be accomplished. Leaders have also said they will not stop until they find the Hamas leaders responsible for the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks that killed roughly 1,200 Israelis in the worst terrorist attack in the country’s history.
While the Israelis are suspected of carrying out a successful assassination attempt against a top Hamas leader in Lebanon, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told NBC that Israel still believes Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s leader in Gaza, remains in the strip.
