Dec. 4 (UPI) — Israel is expanding its ground operations targeting Hamas in Gaza, its military said Sunday, as it ordered additional evacuations in the Palestinian enclave, which it has continued to bombard just days after the collapse of a weeklong stand down.
Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari announced the expanded ground operations late Sunday in a press conference in which few specifics were given.
“The IDF continues and expands ground operations against Hamas” in Gaza, he said.
“The forces fight face to face with terrorists and eliminate them.”
The announcement comes on the heels of the military expanding evacuations for parts of southern Gaza near the city of Khan Younis, seemingly preparing the region for a potential ground invasion.
Within the first week of the war that began Oct. 7, the Israeli military ordered citizens of northern Gaza to evacuate south ahead of ground operations in and around northern Gaza City.
Over the weekend, the Israeli military expanded evacuations for parts of southern Gaza near the city of Khan Younis. In Arabic-language posts on social media, Israel published maps of evacuation zones ahead of what officials called “the next stage of the war.”
The announcement also came as Israel continued to bomb Gaza just days after the warring sides failed to extend the weeklong military truce that allowed for the exchange of hostages held by each side and the escape of civilians from targeted areas of Gaza.
The truce ended Friday.
Amid the attacks on Sunday, Israel killed a Hamas commander, identified as Haitham Hawajri, Hagari said in a post on social media that included aerial footage of the airstrike.
Hagari said Hawajri commanded Hamas fighters who raided Israel during the Oct. 7 surprise attack that killed some 1,200 Israelis and initiated the war.
In response to Hamas’ initial attack, Israel has launched repeated airstrikes on Gaza and has conducted a ground invasion of the enclave’s northern half.
The Hamas-controlled Palestinian health ministry said Sunday that more than 15,500 Palestinians have been killed in the war with 70% of the victims being children and women.
The war is estimated to have internally displaced 1.8 million people, which accounts for nearly 80% of Gaza’s population, according to statistics from the United Nations Office for Coordinating Humanitarian Affairs.
