Against the backdrop of recent encounters along the Gaza Strip border and intensified terrorist activity in the area, the IDF has launched a new operation designed to reshape the landscape in the northern part of the Strip: clearing dense fields through controlled burnings.
The IDF ignites fields to expose shafts
The operation aims to uncover tunnel shafts and explosive devices used by Hamas terrorists as hiding places, while improving the army’s ability to detect threats in real time.
The effort centers on burning thousands of dunams of fields located close to the border fence. “The goal is to create an open area so that any suspicious movement can be quickly detected, mainly through the use of drones and other advanced technologies,” a military source explained to reporter Almog Boker.
Hamas provokes—IDF responds
The move was initiated after Hamas published videos showing terrorists emerging from dense brush and firing at IDF forces. The military recognized the need to act proactively, rather than wait for the next ambush. Within the newly cleared areas, several tunnel shafts have already been found, some containing weapons and valuable intelligence materials.
According to the military source, “Clearing the area allows us not only to better protect our soldiers, but also to provide real security for the residents of the surrounding communities, by ensuring that we control every movement beyond the fence.”
Background: Clashes and heavy losses
The operation was launched following several deadly incidents over the past week. After a relatively quiet period since the beginning of Operation Strength and Sword, face-to-face battles have returned to the fighting arena in Gaza.
As a reminder, late last week Captain Ido Voloch z”l and Yamas fighter Sergeant Neta Yitzhak Kahana z”l were killed in a deadly ambush in Shijaiyah, where forces came under fire from five anti-tank missiles and RPGs during a complex rescue operation that lasted for hours.
The fighting is changing—and so is the terrain
This represents a strategic shift on the ground, as the dense brush that once shielded terrorists is now turning into a vulnerability. The effort to locate terrorists and ensure the safety of residents living near the border fence continues—with fire now serving as a key tool on the battlefield.
