In the past few hours, IDF forces have initiated ground operations along the coastal axis in the Beit Lahia area of the northern Gaza Strip. Before the operation, the IDF and Shin Bet targeted Hamas terror infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch positions in Beit Lahia.
As part of the operation, two brigade combat teams, including forces from the 188th Brigade, entered the area and positioned themselves along the coastal axis, continuing operations in the region. During the operation, the Air Force struck around 40 targets, including armed terrorists, military infrastructure, and weapons that posed a direct threat to both the forces and the State of Israel.
Overnight, the IDF and Shin Bet continued to strike numerous terrorist targets belonging to various terrorist organizations across the Gaza Strip. These attacks involved fighter jets and aircraft targeting dozens of terrorists, as well as military structures, weapons, and other terrorist infrastructure that posed a threat to IDF forces and the State of Israel.
The ground activity in the north is part of broader operations taking place in the center and south of the Gaza Strip. Earlier on Thursday morning, the IDF announced that its forces had expanded the defensive buffer zone between the northern and southern Gaza Strip and had deployed to the central axis in the Netzarim area. As part of the operation, the IDF has instructed Gaza residents to avoid movement along the Salah ad-Din axis, with travel from south to north restricted to the al-Rashid Road (the coastal road).
During the night, the IDF confirmed the elimination of two senior terrorists, Yasser Harb and Muhammad Jamatzi, who led Hamas’s security mechanisms. Additionally, the IDF continues to target and attack dozens of terrorist positions across the Gaza Strip, including military structures, terrorists, and offensive infrastructure.
