Illustrative image. Source: the Israeli Defense Forces.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on October 27 that it sent tanks and troops into the Gaza Strip overnight for a second limited raid to attack targets of the Hamas Movement
The raid near the Shuja’iyya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City was carried out by infantry, combat engineering and armored forces, with Israeli Air Force drones and combat helicopters providing air cover, according to the IDF.
The IDF said that artillery and air strikes were carried out against targets belonging to Hamas, including anti-tank guided missile launch sites and command centers. Several Hamas members were also struck by the forces, the IDF added, noting that Israeli troops left the area after several hours without sustaining any injuries.
A few hours after the raid, a Skylark 3 reconnaissance drone of the IDF crashed in the Zeitoun neighborhood in southern Gaza city. Palestinian media reported that the drone was shot down by Hamas. However, this is yet to be confirmed.
Click to see full-size image. Via X.
The raid in Shuja’iyya marks the second night in a row that the IDF carried out an incursion into Gaza, ahead of an expected full ground offensive.
Israel intensified strikes on Gaza over the past day. The IDF said that one of the strikes killed the deputy head of Hamas’s intelligence, Shadi Barud. Israel claims that Barud planned the October 7 surprise attack along with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
In a televised address, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed that the IDF will ultimately win the war against Hamas in Gaza.
Gallant said that the planned ground offensive will occur soon. “Additional stages in the war will also come, we are creating the conditions for them and we will carry them out. I am determined… to ensure the State of Israel is victorious over this tough and evil enemy — over this epitome of evil.”
“Another thing happened in this campaign that we have never seen before. We have over 200 prisoners and missing people, and we lost about 1,400 soldiers and civilians in the battle,” he added.
A recent report by The Wall Street Journal revealed that Israel had delayed its planned invasion of Gaza in order to give the U.S. more time to deploy additional air defense systems in the Middle East. This delay is expected to last till next week, but the invasion of the Strip appears to be inevitable.
