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The operation, aimed at widening Israel’s security buffer in the south, came alongside a wave of airstrikes that hit dozens of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) targets across the enclave, including weapons depots, rocket launchers, military compounds and infrastructure used by terrorists. Several operatives involved in mortar attacks on Israel were killed, the military added.
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IDF strikes Hamas targets across Gaza
(Video: IDF)
The announcement followed a rare incident earlier in the day when an explosion occurred near an Israeli D9 bulldozer operating in the central buffer zone of the territory. While no injuries were reported, initial assessments suggest the blast may have resulted from an old explosive device or possibly anti-tank fire.
In response to subsequent mortar fire from terrorists, Israeli forces shelled the area and later struck a launch site in the same vicinity near Khan Younis.
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IDF strikes Palestinian Islamic Jihad mortar fire positions in Khan Younis
(Video: IDF)
IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee issued an evacuation warning for residents of the eastern Khan Younis neighborhoods of Abasan, al-Qarara and Khuza’a. “This is your final warning,” Adraee wrote, urging civilians to move west toward shelters in the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone. “Terror groups continue launching rockets near civilians.”
According to Al Jazeera, citing medical sources, at least 14 Palestinians were killed and several others wounded in Israeli airstrikes throughout Gaza on Saturday.
The renewed fighting comes roughly ten days after the collapse of a ceasefire that had held for nearly two months. The Prime Minister’s Office said military action resumed after Hamas “repeatedly refused to release hostages” and rejected proposals from U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and other mediators. The IDF has since named the new offensive "Operation Strength and Sword."
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Since the ceasefire’s breakdown, Hamas and PIJ have resumed rocket fire toward Israel. Last week, Hamas launched rockets at central Israel, including the Tel Aviv area, while PIJ—receiving increased backing from Iran—has so far limited its fire to Israeli communities near Gaza. Some of the rockets reportedly misfired and landed inside Gaza.
Inside Gaza, signs of public unrest have emerged. Mass protests broke out this past week—the largest since the war began—with demonstrators chanting slogans such as “Hamas out,” reflecting widespread frustration over the renewed fighting. Notably, the protests were not suppressed as in the past, possibly indicating internal strain within Hamas.
According to Arab intelligence sources cited by The Wall Street Journal, Hamas has spent weeks trying to restore discipline among its ranks, hesitating to punish operatives out of fear it may need all available fighters in the event of a large-scale Israeli ground invasion.