Worthy Christian News > Israel-Palestinian Conflict > Israel Expands Ground Campaign in Southern Gaza

Israel Expands Ground Campaign in Southern Gaza

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The Israeli military has verified the expansion of its ground operation into the southern region of the Gaza Strip, vowing to maintain the campaign’s intensity at the same level as observed in northern Gaza.

During a press conference on Sunday evening, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari announced the military’s decision to extend the ground offensive to “all areas of the Gaza Strip.”

“Yesterday, today, we killed [Hamas] battalion commanders, company commanders and many operatives. And yesterday morning we started the same move in the south of the Gaza Strip,” said the IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, to his troops. “It will be no less powerful than [the operations in northern Gaza]. The results will be no less [significant],” Halevi said. “The Hamas commanders will meet the IDF everywhere.”

On Monday, dozens of Israeli tanks entered the southern part of the Gaza Strip, operating near Khan Younis as the military expanded its ground offensive. Witnesses also observed armored personnel carriers and bulldozers in the area, where the IDF believes Hamas leadership is hiding.

Israeli tanks were observed on the southern section of Salah al-Din road, the primary north-south highway in the Strip. The army’s Arabic-language spokesperson declared this area to be a “battle zone.”

Since the beginning of Israel’s ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, 72 IDF soldiers have died.

The Hamas-run health minister has claimed that over 15,500 Palestinians have been killed, with “thousands” missing. However, these figures are challenging to verify independently. Additionally, it remains unclear how many Hamas members are among those reported killed. Israel maintains that it does not target civilians but accuses Hamas of using them as human shields.

Hamas Tunnel Network Targeted

Since the onset of the war, the IDF has reported the destruction of over 500 of the 800 underground tunnels. The statement emphasized that soldiers were uncovering weapons and tunnel shafts in close proximity to or within civilian buildings and structures, such as schools, kindergartens, mosques, and playgrounds.

Israel has installed a system of large pumps that could potentially be employed to flood Hamas’s extensive tunnel network beneath the Gaza Strip with seawater. This method aims to destroy the tunnels and compel fighters to evacuate their underground hideouts,  the Wall Street Journal reported today. On November 24, Worthy News documented detailed videos of the IDF using pumps to flood Hamas’ tunnel networks.

Hamas Rocket Hits Military Base Housing Nuclear Missiles

According to The New York Times, a rocket launched from Gaza hit an Israeli military base, where experts believe some of Israel’s nuclear-capable missiles are kept. While the missiles themselves were not the primary target, the impact at the Sdot Micha base in central Israel resulted in a fire that approached storage facilities for missiles and other areas holding sensitive weaponry.  Notably, Israel has not responded to the report.