A screengrab of a footage released by Israel showing Hamas firing rockets
Israeli forces have launched localised raids on Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, ahead of an anticipated ground offensive in areas held by the Hamas group.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, showing how they bombed Hamas rocket sites while the projectiles were being launched.
"The IDF conducted raids in Gazan territory to eliminate the threat of terrorist cells and infrastructure. Soldiers collected evidence that will aid in locating hostages," the IDF said in the post.
The video shows multiple rockets being fired by Hamas near a beach in the Gaza Strip. Moments later, those sites disappeared in a thick cloud of smoke and dust. All the while, an Israeli jet or a drone keeps the camera locked in the area.
"The IAF (Israeli Air Force) continued striking Hamas terrorist targets and anti-tank missile launchers in Gaza immediately after they were used to attack Israel," the IDF said in the post.
Friday's localised raids by Israeli forces came amid incessant Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip, with Hamas firing back with rockets.
"Over the past 24 hours, IDF (Israeli military) forces carried out localised raids inside the territory of the Gaza Strip to complete the effort to cleanse the area of terrorists and weaponry," an army statement said. "During these operations, there was also an effort to locate missing persons."
War erupted between the two sides on Saturday, when Hamas attacked communities in Israel and killed more than 1,300 Israelis, most of them civilians. Hamas also took an estimated 150 Israelis and foreigners hostages.
Retaliatory strikes on Gaza have killed around 1,800 people and caused mass displacement.
Israel today warned the 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza to flee, ahead of the anticipated ground offensive, a move condemned by the UN.
With inputs from AFP