Israel Defense Forces conducted air strikes on naval targets in Gaza reportedly used by Hamas militants to attack the Israeli coastline.
Tel Aviv: Israel Defense Forces (IDF) dealt a significant blow to Hamas on Wednesday, claiming the complete destruction of the terror group’s “Advanced Detection System” in Gaza, a critical tool used to identify aircraft. The IDF announced that over 80 new targets were struck during their airstrikes in the besieged coastal enclave. “In a few minutes during a focused sortie, the IAF (Israeli Air Force) struck all of the sites of the network and demolished Hamas’ ability to form an accurate picture of the skies and their efforts to target IDF aircraft,” reported CNN, quoting the IDF’s official statement.
Key Hamas Facilities Destroyed By IAF
According to the IDF, the recent targets included two bank branches used by Hamas to fund terrorism, an underground tunnel, two Hamas operational command centres, weapons storage facilities, and two Hamas compounds utilized for training, manufacturing, and storing weapons. Following the surprise attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, prompting Israel to declare war, the Jewish nation has continued to pound Gaza with relentless airstrikes.
Earlier in the day, the IDF also conducted strikes on naval targets in Gaza reportedly used by Hamas militants to attack the Israeli coastline, as per CNN reports. The operation involved IDF naval soldiers, IAF, and the Israeli Artillery Corps. Docks were targeted using artillery fire from missile boats, military helicopters, and ground artillery batteries.
Furthermore, Israeli naval forces thwarted a Hamas diver attempting to infiltrate into Israel from the Gaza shores earlier that day, stated the IDF. In an update on the ground situation, IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus mentioned that they had rebuilt the barrier around Gaza and mobilized “infantry, armoured soldiers, artillery corps,” along with 300,000 reservists close to the border with the enclave, according to the BBC.
They are “close to the Gaza Strip getting ready to execute the mission that we have been given by the Israeli government – and that is to make sure that Hamas at the end of this war won’t have any military capabilities by which they can threaten or kill Israeli civilians,” he added.
IDF’s ‘Knock On The Roof” Tactic To Minimize Civilian Casualties
In an attempt to minimize civilian casualties, the IDF has employed the “Knock-On-The-Roof” tactic. This involves alerting a building’s occupants about an impending airstrike by dropping a small, non-explosive munition on the roof before executing a larger strike.
While aimed at saving lives, this technique is contentious and has faced criticism from human rights groups, arguing that dropping a munition on a building should not be considered a sufficient warning. Given the densely populated nature of Gaza, finding safe havens within the blockaded strip of land remains a challenge.
Gaza Braces For Darkness As Electricity Supply Is Cut Off
The Hamas-controlled government in Gaza issued a warning on Wednesday, stating that the electricity supply to Gaza “will completely stop within hours,” severely limiting the ability to provide essential services. The Gaza government’s media office emphasized that “All basic services in Gaza depend on electricity, and it will not be possible to partially operate them with generators due to the prevention of fuel supplies through the Rafah gate.
Israeli forces have intensified airstrikes on Gaza since Saturday, targeting hundreds of sites and devastating neighbourhoods, responding to unprecedented Hamas terror attacks on Israel. Israel, having declared war on Hamas, continues its airstrikes in the densely populated coastal enclave, resulting in casualties with 950 reported deaths and 5,000 injuries, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has ordered a “complete siege” of Gaza, halting the supply of essential provisions, including electricity, food, water, and fuel to the Palestinian enclave, following Hamas’ attack.
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