On Thursday, Israeli ground forces operated within the northern Gaza Strip, attacking multiple Hamas targets before withdrawing, the military said in a statement on what Israel’s Army Radio described as the biggest invasion of the recent war.
Video of the overnight move issued by the military showed armored vehicles moving through a sandy border zone. A bulldozer has been seen leveling part of a raised bank, tanks fire shells, and explosions are spotted near or amid a row of damaged buildings.
The military statement posted online said the incursion was carried out “in preparation for the next stages of combat”, a possible reference to the large-scale invasion that Israeli leaders have threatened as part of the war to destroy Hamas.
The military statement added that the soldiers have since exited the area and returned to Israeli territory.
Israel started localized ground invasions on Sunday as the battle, triggered by an October 7 cross-border rampage by Hamas gunmen, entered its third week. Israel’s Army Radio described Thursday’s incursion as the biggest yet.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas in Gaza.
