"Iron Swords" in the Gaza Strip. "We hit 800 targets"
The operation "Iron Swords" of the Israeli Defense Forces targeting Palestinian terrorist groups from Gaza is ongoing. "We hit 800 Hamas objects in the Gaza Strip, killed hundreds of militants, and took dozens as prisoners," the Israeli army spokesperson reported on Sunday.
2:32 AM EDT, October 9, 2023
Earlier, the Israeli army reported that it was conducting attacks on the Gaza Strip using "dozens of fighters", including near the city of Beit Hanoun located on the border of the Gaza Strip and Israeli territory. Below is footage of bombings from Sunday evening.
The Palestinian authorities have reported that so far at least 370 people have been killed and 2200 injured in Israeli air raids in the Gaza Strip. It is unknown how many of them are Hamas fighters. A significant increase in the number of victims is expected. And this is just the beginning of Israel's military operations against terrorists.
The Israeli army will enter Gaza
According to Gershon Baskin - a negotiator who, in 2011, facilitated the release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier held by Hamas for over five years - the Gaza Strip will soon become an arena of heavy clashes. One of the objectives of the Israel Defense Forces will be to free approximately 100 Jewish hostages, whom Hamas militants kidnapped on Saturday.
According to Baskin, the terrorists will hold the hostages underground to significantly hinder the Israeli military from locating them. - I have no doubt that Israel's main goal will be to find them through military operations, not through negotiations - he assessed.
According to him, after the air raids, Israel will send infantry to Gaza as part of a "massive military operation". - Its goal will be to kill the leaders of Hamas and free the hostages - Baskin stated.
The Israeli government estimates that Hamas has taken about 100 people hostage in Israel. So far, it is known that there have been over 700 Jewish victims of the attack that has been ongoing since Saturday morning.
Source: PAP/BBC