Israeli forces said they killed dozens of Hamas gunmen in the Gaza Strip last night, with Hamas also reporting heavy fighting.
"An Israeli aircraft guided by ground forces attacked a position inside a Hamas building where more than 20 gunmen were located," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement today.
A fighter jet also targeted the Al-Azhar University area, where the IDF identified gunmen and anti-tank missile launchers.
"The army has eliminated dozens of people entrenched in buildings and tunnels who planned to attack our forces," the IDF said.
Israeli tanks operate in the northern Gaza Strip on October 29. Video : IDF
Al-Azhar, located in central Gaza City, has been the focus of Israeli attacks since the start of the fighting. Hamas also reported "heavy fighting" in northern Gaza overnight, after Israel expanded its ground offensive into the territory.
The Israeli military said it had struck more than 600 Hamas targets in the past 24 hours, up from 450 announced on October 29. It was one of the largest strikes since the start of the war.
Israeli tanks and military vehicles move inside the Gaza Strip on October 29. Photo: Reuters
Witnesses told AFP that Israeli tanks entered the outskirts of Gaza City on Monday and blocked a key route from the north to the south of the territory.
"They blocked Salahedin road and shot at any vehicle that tried to pass along that road," a witness said.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari declined to confirm the information.
Israel has recently launched localized attacks on the Gaza Strip, including lightning strikes in the northern and central parts of the region. The campaign intensified on October 27, when the Israeli military stepped up airstrikes and sent troops and tanks into Gaza, focusing on targeting infrastructure, including the tunnel network. However, the Israeli military said this was not the full-scale ground campaign it had planned.
The fighting has left more than 9,400 people dead and more than 25,600 injured on both sides. More than a million Palestinians have been ordered to evacuate the southern Gaza Strip. However, Hamas has reportedly asked residents not to leave their homes. Many civilians are also unable to move south.
Huyen Le (According to AFP , CNN , Reuters )
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