The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday it struck about 30 targets, including Hamas military infrastructure and weapons storage facilities, in the Gaza Strip over the past day.
“The IAF [Israeli air force] struck approximately 30 terror targets, including weapons storage facilities, terrorist infrastructure sites, and Hamas military structures, over the past day,” the IDF said in a statement on Telegram.
IDF troops identified and eliminated an armed “terrorist squad” in the area of Rafah, the statement said. The Israeli air force also struck and dismantled several terrorist infrastructure sites in the area over the past day, the statement read.
In the area of Shejaiya, the Israeli forces conducted strikes and eliminated dozens of Hamas infrastructure sites, including tunnel shafts, weapons storage facilities, and a structure from which an anti-tank missile was fired at the troops, the statement also said.
“Additionally, during targeted raids conducted in the area, IDF troops located large amounts of weapons, including AK-47 rifles, military vests, and additional military equipment,” the statement added.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel and breached the border, attacking both civilian neighbourhoods and military bases. Nearly 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted during the attack. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. As many as 120 hostages are believed to be still held by Hamas in Gaza, and 43 hostages died in captivity.
More than 37,900 people have been killed and over 87,100 others have been wounded in the Gaza Strip as a result of Israel’s military operations, Gaza’s authorities said.