Israel army made raids into Gaza 'over past 24 hours' to cleanse area of terrorists, weaponry

Israeli ground forces made raids into Gaza over the past 24 hours, the military said Friday, ahead of an expected ground offensive on the densely populated Palestinian territory.

"Over the past 24 hours, IDF (Israeli military) forces carried out localised raids inside the territory of the Gaza Strip to complete the effort to cleanse the area of terrorists and weaponry," an army statement said.

"During these operations, there was also an effort to locate missing persons," it further read.


Israeli ground troops launched incursions into the Gaza Strip within the last 24 hours, as announced by the military on Friday, in preparation for an imminent ground offensive in the densely populated Palestinian region.

"Over the past 24 hours, IDF (Israeli military) forces carried out localised raids inside the territory of the Gaza Strip to complete the effort to cleanse the area of terrorists and weaponry," an army statement said.

"During these operations, there was also an effort to locate missing persons."

The incursions occurred amidst ongoing Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, while Palestinian militants retaliated with rocket attacks.

The conflict erupted between the two parties last Saturday when Hamas militants targeted Israeli communities, resulting in the loss of more than 1,300 lives, primarily civilians. Additionally, militants kidnapped approximately 150 Israelis and foreigners.

In response, retaliatory strikes in Gaza have claimed the lives of approximately 1,800 individuals and led to widespread displacement.

On Friday, Israel issued a warning to the 1.1 million residents in northern Gaza, urging them to evacuate in anticipation of an impending ground offensive. This action has drawn condemnation from the United Nations.

Inputs from AFP