Israeli troops and tanks conducted a brief raid in northern Gaza overnight into Thursday. This move is seen as a preparation for an expected full-scale incursion.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the raid was part of the preparations for the next stages of combat. During the operation, the troops struck several militant targets. The soldiers exited the area at the end of the activity.
This preemptive raid occurs in anticipation of an impending operation to eliminate Hamas. The ongoing conflict has escalated the risk of a larger-scale war in the surrounding areas. Hezbollah, a Hamas ally supported by Iran and based in Lebanon, has engaged in several exchanges of fire with Israel along the border.
The rising death toll in Gaza is unprecedented in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza reported that more than 7,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict.
Israel has vowed to crush Hamas’ capacity to govern Gaza or threaten Israel again, while also stating it doesn’t want to reoccupy the territory from which it withdrew soldiers and settlers in 2005. This could prove a daunting challenge, as Hamas is deeply rooted in Palestinian society, with political and charity organizations as well as a formidable armed wing.
The international community is closely watching the developments in the region. The United Nations has warned that it’s on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip, forcing it to sharply curtail relief efforts.
This is a developing story. More updates will follow.
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