The Israel Defense Forces has given further details of its ground operations around the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza, now into their second week.
The IDF said it has made dozens of strikes in the area to assist the forces who are fighting “armed terrorist cells” on the ground.
The military said “the soldiers have located large quantities of weapons, including explosives, anti-tank missiles, AK-47s, drones and grenades.”
The Israeli military has re-entered parts of northern and central Gaza, it says, to combat efforts by Hamas to re-establish itself in these areas.
Reports from the ground: Displaced Palestinians in Jabalya tell CNN that heavy Israeli bombardment has wrought “death and horror” at the camp. Some 300 houses were completely destroyed over the course of seven days, according to Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesperson for the civil defense emergency services in Gaza.
Bassal’s teams had recovered at least 150 bodies and rescued hundreds of wounded people at the refugee camp as of Saturday, he told CNN.
In southern Gaza: The IDF said the Israeli Air Force killed a senior Hamas operative in Rafah. The IDF claims he was actively involved in the smuggling of weapons and funds in the Gaza Strip.
Overall, the IDF said the Air Force had struck dozens of targets, including what it claimed were “two tactical-level Hamas commanders who were preparing to attack IDF troops in the Rafah area.”
