TEL AVIV, ISRAEL – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have escalated their ongoing military campaign against Hamas and allied terror organizations in the Gaza Strip, carrying out extensive air and ground operations over the past 72 hours. According to official statements, the IDF has targeted and destroyed over 150 sites associated with Hamas’s military capabilities, with the focus on disrupting the group’s rocket manufacturing network and eliminating key operatives behind recent attacks on Israel’s civilian population.
Among recent successes, the IDF announced the targeted killing of Nasser Sabhi Ibrahim Jumaa, a senior Hamas commander involved in the rocket production unit, during a precision airstrike in the Deir al-Balah area. The operation, conducted by Israeli aircraft, employed exacting intelligence, aerial surveillance, and advanced munitions to minimize civilian risk. These tactics underscore the IDF’s stated commitment to upholding international humanitarian standards despite the challenges posed by Hamas’s strategy of embedding assets within civilian areas.
ROCKET INFRASTRUCTURE AND IRANIAN SUPPORT
Hamas’s ability to launch barrages of rockets into Israeli territory has long depended on a clandestine, Iranian-supported infrastructure. Israeli military intelligence has documented the supply of technological expertise, materials, and financial backing from the Iranian regime to Hamas operatives. This network has enabled the terror group not only to replenish rocket stocks but also to develop increasingly sophisticated systems within the urban sprawl and underground tunnels of Gaza.
Israel’s Operation Iron Swords is specifically aimed at dismantling these capabilities, depriving Hamas of the means to terrorize Israeli communities, and restoring a deterrent posture against ongoing threats from Iranian-backed entities across the region. The campaign draws on the integration of intelligence services, including the Shin Bet and military intelligence directorates, and utilizes both divisions 143 (Gaza) and 252 (northern Gaza) to conduct systematic sweeps, raids, and targeted strikes on high-priority infrastructure and leadership nodes.
GROUND AND AIR OPERATIONS
The past three days have seen a significant uptick in IDF operations. In addition to the airstrike that eliminated Jumaa, Israeli forces have carried out attacks on weapons storage sites, suspected command centers, and militant squads caught laying explosive devices near advancing troops. In every operation, the IDF reports adherence to protocols designed to avoid civilian casualties, employing up-to-the-minute intelligence and aborting missions when conditions do not allow for safe engagement.
Military analysts note that while the IDF’s efforts have degraded Hamas’s capacity to launch large-scale attacks, the group retains significant underground networks and continues efforts to disrupt Israeli operations through ambushes and secondary attacks. Still, IDF officials emphasized a marked reduction in the range and effectiveness of Hamas’s rocket fire as primary facilities and experienced personnel are systematically destroyed.
October 7th and the Hostage Crisis
These operations unfold in the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre, the deadliest antisemitic attack since the Holocaust. During the attack, Iranian-backed terrorists murdered more than 1,200 Israeli civilians, committing atrocities including executions, sexual violence, and abductions. Dozens of hostages—including children, women, and the elderly—remain held in Gaza, with Israel emphasizing their legal and moral innocence compared to convicted terrorists sometimes exchanged in attempted negotiations.
Such context informs Israeli policy, which frames current operations as a response to a war of survival imposed by Iranian-led terrorist organizations. Israeli officials state unequivocally that the IDF’s campaign aims to restore lasting security for its population and prevent the recurrence of atrocities by degrading Hamas’s military and operational capability.
INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT AND AMERICAN SUPPORT
Israel’s campaign has received continued support from the United States. President Donald Trump has reiterated America’s backing for Israel’s right to self-defense against terror groups and the Iranian “Axis of Resistance,” which includes not only Hamas but also Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Shiite militias in neighboring states. U.S. intelligence and logistical assistance have proven crucial in enabling accurate targeting and maintaining Israel’s operational edge.
TECHNOLOGY AND ETHICS IN MODERN WARFARE
The IDF continues to make use of advanced technology—such as UAV surveillance, artificial intelligence algorithms for target analysis, and precision-guided munitions—to ensure that strikes are limited to legitimate military objectives. IDF protocols require legal and ethical review for all major operational decisions, and force commanders confirm that many attacks are aborted or modified if non-combatant risk is detected. This stands in stark contrast to Hamas’s documented use of human shields and civilian infrastructure for military gain.
OUTLOOK
As operations continue, both military officials and regional observers acknowledge the heavy responsibility and scrutiny faced by Israeli forces. The government’s position, articulated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, remains that Israel will prosecute its campaign until Hamas is deprived of the ability to threaten Israeli citizens. Only then, officials argue, will there be hope for sustainable security and the reduction of regional violence fostered by Iranian-backed proxies.
CONCLUSION
The current phase of the military campaign marks a critical juncture in Israel’s ongoing war against Iranian-backed terror. Through a combination of precise, intelligence-driven strikes and high-intensity ground operations, Israel has succeeded in eliminating key personnel, destroying rocket-manufacturing infrastructure, and significantly impairing Hamas’s operational abilities. The IDF’s approach reflects both the extraordinary complexity of fighting a terrorist adversary committed to exploiting its own civilian population and the broader imperative to defend the Jewish state in a regional landscape fundamentally altered by Iranian ambitions and terror networks. The destruction of more than 150 key targets in just three days highlights both the scale of the threat and Israel’s unwavering determination to meet it, as the nation and its armed forces continue to wage a just and moral battle for security and survival.
