The Israeli military said it had surrounded Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip and launched a new ground operation after seeing signs of a Hamas regroupment.
The Times of Israel and CNN report this.
Israel Launches New Ground Operation in Gaza
The IDF said the 401st and 460th Armored Brigades of the 162nd Division surrounded the city overnight after receiving intelligence about Hamas militants and infrastructure, as well as attempts by the terrorist group to regroup in the area.
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Loud explosions were heard in the Jabaliya area overnight. The IDF later said it carried out a wave of airstrikes and artillery shelling as troops entered the area.
The military said the strikes hit dozens of Hamas targets in Jabaliya, including weapons depots, tunnels, militant cells and other infrastructure.
The IDF said the airstrikes and tank shelling killed dozens of terrorists.
The military wing of the Islamist movement Hamas said it was engaged in “intensive fighting” with Israeli forces in northern Gaza.
CNN reports that after the Israeli military warned of a new ground operation in Jabalia, where the largest refugee camp in Gaza is located, dozens of families in the area packed up their belongings and once again fled their homes.
The Israeli military also issued a new evacuation order for residents in the northern Gaza Strip, adding that they had expanded the borders of the humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi.
Jabaliya on the map
Screenshot: Google Maps
The new operation was the IDF's fourth offensive on Jabaliya since the war began a year ago. The latest round of fighting in May was described by the IDF and some Israeli officers as “intense” and “the most brutal” of the war.
The operation began days after the military launched an operation in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah. The IDF said it had killed more than 250 Hezbollah members, including several commanders, in the four-day operation in southern Lebanon.
