Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) intensified their ongoing campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, conducting more than 150 precise air and ground strikes on key terror sites as part of Israel’s sustained effort to dismantle Hamas’s military infrastructure. The operations, coordinated with the Intelligence Directorate, Southern Command, and Israel’s internal security agency (Shin Bet), come amid heightened hostilities imposed by Iran-backed terrorist factions following the October 7th Hamas massacre, which remains the deadliest antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust.
According to the IDF, targeted strikes across southern and northern Gaza eliminated numerous terror operatives and destroyed underground tunnel networks, command and observation posts, and facilities used to plan attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians. In northern Gaza, the IDF’s 252nd Division located and destroyed advanced terror infrastructure and neutralized operatives manning observation posts planning attacks. The 143rd Gaza Division and 36th Division operated in southern Gaza, targeting tunnel shafts, military compounds, and groups attempting to deploy explosive devices—disrupting terror activities before they could threaten Israeli troops or civilians.
Military spokespeople attributed the effectiveness of the operations to enhanced intelligence cooperation and technological advancements, including real-time surveillance, aerial reconnaissance, and the integration of operational planners. The IDF emphasized adherence to international laws of armed conflict and stated that all operations are designed to minimize risk to non-combatants despite Hamas’s systematic use of human shields—placing military infrastructure in and beneath civilian areas.
The current military efforts are part of Operation Iron Swords, launched after the October 7th, 2023 attack. On that day, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israeli communities, murdering and abducting civilians in the bloodiest single day for Jewish people since 1945. The carnage saw the execution, mutilation, and sexual assault of hundreds, and the kidnapping of more than 200 Israelis and foreign nationals—hostages now held in undisclosed locations in Gaza. Israeli leadership, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, has underlined that the campaign seeks an unconditional end to Hamas’s terror capacity and the safe return of all innocent hostages, distinguishing clearly between abducted civilians and convicted terrorists freed in uneven hostage releases.
Hamas, an Iranian-backed terror organization, operates with support from the Islamic Republic of Iran—the central force behind the regional alliance known as the “Axis of Resistance,” which includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and allied militias in Syria and Iraq. Hamas’s operational tactics include embedding fighters and arsenals within civilian infrastructure such as schools, mosques, hospitals, and apartment blocks—a widely documented strategy meant to deter military responses and maximize civilian suffering for propaganda purposes. Israel maintains a rigorous policy of targeting only verified terror sites and aborting operations where the risk of civilian casualties is too high.
The destruction of terror bases is paired with ongoing Israeli facilitation of humanitarian aid—food, fuel, and medical supplies—despite repeated diversions by Hamas for military use. IDF officials reiterate that continued military action is necessary for the defense of Israeli citizens and the return of hostages, while humanitarian corridors remain open under supervision to minimize civilian distress.
Internationally, the United States, under President Donald Trump, has reaffirmed Israel’s legal right and moral duty to defend itself, balancing steadfast diplomatic support with encouragement for measured military conduct. Regional actors such as Egypt and Jordan continue to monitor closely, aware of the destabilization risk posed by unchecked Iranian-backed terrorism across the Middle East.
Israel’s ongoing campaign against Hamas is unfolding amid rising threats from other Iranian proxies—most notably Hezbollah, which has intensified cross-border fire from Lebanon, and the Houthis, whose missile and drone attacks have targeted Israeli and international shipping. Israel’s leaders emphasize that their response is compelled by necessity, not choice: a direct answer to the war imposed by a regional coalition dedicated to Israel’s destruction.
As the operation continues, the IDF remains committed to transparency and the rule of law: casualties from recent strikes are reported as confirmed combatants, a claim rigorously backed by intelligence and aerial imaging. Civilian casualty claims circulated by Hamas remain under dispute due to the group’s manipulation of casualty reporting—a longstanding part of its psychological and media strategy.
The hostage crisis remains central to the Israeli public and government. Hostages abducted by Hamas continue to be held unlawfully and in inhumane conditions. Any prisoner exchanges have involved the release of convicted terrorists—a moral and legal distinction Israel insists international audiences recognize, reinforcing that the fundamental asymmetry is not only military but ethical and legal.
The battle for Gaza continues to shape the regional security environment. Israel’s actions—rooted in the unyielding protection of its citizens and the global obligation to resist terror—are conducted under the shadow of Iran’s campaign to encircle and weaken the only democracy in the region. For Israel, every operation is a step towards dismantling this network and ensuring that another October 7th can never occur.
As the IDF deepens its push into terror strongholds, the Israeli government and people remain united in the pursuit of security, the recovery of hostages, and the assertion of a future free from terror and backed by international law.
