Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on February 3 that its troops had killed dozens of Hamas fighters during fighting across the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours.
In northern and central Gaza, the Nahal Infantry Brigade and 401st Armored Brigade killed dozens of Hamas fighters during raids and destroyed several anti-tank missile launchers, the IDF said.
It added that the troops also raided a Hamas office where they found military equipment, weapons and documents belonging to the terror group.
Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
In one incident in Gaza City’s Shati refugee camp, the IDF said that troops from the 414th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit spotted several Hamas fighters transporting weapons in sacks then called in an airstrike, killing them.
Meanwhile, in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, the Givati Infantry Brigade killed some 20 fighters over the past day, during several encounters, according to the IDF.
The Paratroopers Brigade, also operating in Khan Younis, killed several more Hamas fighters during raids in the western part of the city, the IDF said, adding that fighter jets carried out strikes on a Hamas site in the city, where a tunnel shaft and a weapons depot were located.
In addition, the IDF said that troops raided a building in Khan Younis where they found a cache of weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades, grenades and military equipment, including scuba diving gear.
Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
While the IDF claimed that its recent operations in Gaza only targeted positions and personnel of Hamas, the health ministry in the Strip said on February 3 that at least 107 Palestinians were killed and 165 others wounded in the last 24 hours as a result of Israeli attacks.
“The Israeli occupation committed 12 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, leaving 107 martyrs and 165 wounded during the past 24 hours,” the ministry said in a statement. “Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them.”
Israel’s onslaught on Gaza, has so far claimed the lives of 27,238 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left more than 66,452 others wounded.
The death toll in the Strip will likely continue to rise in the coming days as Israel is yet to accept a deal with Hamas to end the war. Israeli officials said on February 3 that an agreement with the group is still far, without providing any timeframe for the ongoing indirect talks, which are facilitated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
