Since Israel resumed its military operations in Gaza under ‘Operation Might and Sword,’ Palestinian sources report hundreds of casualties, including high-ranking Hamas operatives. The IDF’s Southern Command is expected to approve operational plans for maneuvering divisions in preparation for potential ground action in the future, according to journalist Hillel Biton Rosen.
Israel Eliminates Senior Hamas Operatives
Palestinian reports indicate that overnight, several high-ranking members of Hamas’s security apparatus were eliminated, including two members of Hamas’s political bureau, the Director-General of the Justice Ministry, a senior official from Hamas’s internal security agency, and the Director-General of the Interior Ministry.
During the morning hours, the IDF ordered residents of northern Gaza to evacuate immediately from combat zones and move south. The evacuation directive was issued to residents of Beit Hanoun, Khirbet Khuza’a, Abasan al-Kabira, and El-Jadida, which were identified as high-risk areas.
Security Official: ‘Israel Will Not Wait, and the Price Will Only Rise’
The military operation follows Hamas’s refusal to advance negotiations for the release of hostages, leading to a deadlock in talks in Cairo. A senior Israeli security official stated that “Hamas continues to gamble on time – and this is a grave mistake. Israel will not wait, and the price will only rise.” Israeli officials stress that unless there is a significant shift in Hamas’s stance, the military operation will expand with further actions.
In response to the renewed fighting, Hezbollah issued a lengthy condemnation but refrained from making direct threats of launching attacks from Lebanon, unlike in the early days of the war. The terrorist organization has so far not linked the Lebanese front to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
