The IDF sent in infantry supported by several tanks and armored bulldozers in the early morning hours of Thursday, Oct. 27, attacking so-called Hamas targets in a raid on Northern Gaza that lasted several hours.
This is the third and largest Israeli raid on Gaza since the conflict began. The IDF claimed its troops identified and engaged with entrenched Hamas fighters. The IDF claimed this raid was necessary to "prepare the battlefield" before the invasion. (Related: Israeli military gets "green light" to enter Gaza and begin ground offensive.)
Before the recent raid, retaliatory airstrikes by Israel had already killed more than 7,000 Palestinians, including nearly 3,000 children.
The Israeli airstrikes on Gaza also continue. The IDF reported carrying out strikes on about 250 locations all over Gaza overnight, with the Israeli military claiming all of the targeted locations were Hamas positions.
Raid meant to search for entrances to Hamas' vast tunnel systems
The raid saw IDF troops and armor moving about a kilometer into Gaza from the border fence. The Israeli military added that the raid's objective was also to search for entrances to Hamas' vast tunnel systems and to test Hamas' responses to an all-out attack.
Footage released by the IDF showed a column of at least a dozen Israeli tanks and other armored vehicles crossing through a large opening in the Gaza border wall and firing on a nearby built-up area of damaged buildings.
The IDF also wanted to draw out Hamas positions equipped with Russian-made Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, a source of major concern for Israeli military planners. A spokesperson for the IDF noted that at least one Israeli tank came under anti-tank fire during the raid, but Israeli forces later left Gaza without incurring casualties.
"Through the raid, we eliminated terrorists, neutralized threats, dismantled explosives, neutralized ambushes in order to enable the next stages of the war for the ground forces," said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a press conference.
Tens of thousands of IDF personnel have amassed at the Gaza border. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country was "raining hellfire" on Palestinians, but that Israeli troops still needed a little more time to prepare for the full ground invasion.
This statement comes as the United States and other countries are urging Israel to continue delaying the invasion, fearing it could ignite wider hostilities in the region, including possibly opening another front in Northern Israel and sparking attacks on Israeli allies like the U.S. in other parts of the Middle East.
The delays also come amid mounting international concern over the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. Along with the more than 7,000 Palestinians killed mostly by Israeli airstrikes, over 1.4 million Palestinians – more than half of Gaza's population of 2.3 million – have already been displaced by the fighting.
Learn the latest developments in the conflict in Gaza at WWIII.news.
Watch this episode of "Graveyard Shift" as Dr. Paul Cottrell discusses in detail the recent raid on Gaza.
This video is from the Dr. Paul Cottrell channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Bombing innocent children in Gaza is not "defense," it constitutes a grievous war crime.
Psychiatrist: Children in Gaza developing symptoms of SEVERE TRAUMA.
Israel Defense Forces: Private homes can be "legitimate" targets.
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