After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday evening announced the widening of the ground operations in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces hit hundreds of terrorist targets in Hamas-controlled territory.
“In the past day, 450 Hamas targets including mortar launching terror squads and subterranean objectives were struck, he said while two members of the force were injured, one seriously,” the Israeli news website Ynet reported Sunday morning.
Israeli ground forces were destroying Hamas’ military assets and fortified positions. “The IDF continues ground operations in the northern Gaza Strip,” the IDF said in a press release on Sunday afternoon. “IAF aircraft, guided by IDF troops, struck Hamas military structures, some of which contained Hamas terrorists. In addition, anti-tank missile launching posts, observation posts and military infrastructure were struck.”
The IDF released images on Sunday showing infantry and tanks on Gaza beach.
As IDF entered northern Gaza, soldiers raised Israeli flag in the terrorist-run territory for the first time since Israel’s 2005 withdrawal, handing over full control to the Palestinians in the hope of peace. “IDF soldiers who entered the Gaza Strip on Saturday raised the Israeli flag on one of the homes in the area, according to video shared online,” the Jerusalem Post reported Sunday. “This was reportedly the first time the Israeli flag has been raised in Gaza since the Disengagement in 2005.”
Covering the overnight IDF operation, the Israeli news website Arutz Sheva reported:
IAF aircraft directed by the IDF attacked military buildings used by the terrorist organization Hamas in Gaza. In addition, anti-tank posts, observation posts, and military infrastructure were attacked.Security forces eliminated terrorists who shot at them as well as terrorists identified on the coastline near the Zikim area in the Gaza Strip.Terrorists in the Gaza Strip continued to fire barrages of rockets at Israel on Sunday. Multiple barrages have been fired at southern Israel, and a large barrage was fired at the Tel Aviv area at noon.A fire was reportedly caused in a building in Ramat Gan, and parts of a rocket were found in the Rishon Lezion area. One man was injured in Herzliya while running to a protected area during the attack.Over the previous 24 hours, IDF fighter jets struck over 450 military targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip, including operational command centers, observation posts, and anti-tank missile launch posts.
Having spent hundreds of millions of dollars in creating underground networks, Hamas was using terror tunnels to wage attacks on Israeli troops. “There are reports of clashes between IDF troops and Palestinian gunmen in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, close to Erez,” The Times of Israel reported Sunday. “Army Radio reports that a number of Palestinian gunmen came out of a tunnel in the Gaza Strip, several hundred meters from the Israeli border, and began to clash with Israeli troops.”
Meanwhile, Hamas continued to fire rockets at Israeli towns and cities. “Hamas-fired rockets struck several cities and towns over the weekend, wounding many Israelis and destroying homes and buildings,” the Jerusalem Post reported Saturday. “Several people suffered minor to moderate wounds in the center of the country. Others suffered from shock.”
On Sunday, an Israeli school was hit by Hamas rocket shrapnel. “Shrapnel fell on a school in Israel, while students were sheltering from a Hamas rocket attack earlier. Israel’s center came under a rocket bombardment mid-day, targeting the Central Plains, Metropolitan areas around Tel Aviv and the Sharon Plains. No damage or injuries were reported,” the Ynet reported.
The IDF destroyed a terrorist cell in southern Lebanon trying to launch a guided missile into Israel, the Israeli media reported Sunday afternoon. The foiled launch was latest in the series of attacks carried out by the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group.
“A short while ago, a terrorist cell attempted to launch anti-tank missiles from Lebanon toward Israeli territory in the Avivim area. IDF soldiers struck the terrorist cell,” the IDF said in a statement issued on Sunday afternoon.
On Sunday evening, Hezbollah renewed rocket barrage, hitting the Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona. “A rocket has fallen in Kiryat Shmona, local authorities say, shortly after sirens went off in the northern town,” The Times of Israel reported. “Authorities are en route to the impact site to determine if anyone was hurt and the degree of damage to infrastructure.”
The Israeli military reposed to Hezbollah rocket fire. “Following the initial report regarding sirens that sounded in northern Israel, ten launches were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory. In response, the IDF is striking in Lebanon,” IDF said in a statement.
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