The IDF is closing the area around Gaza City, concentrating its main efforts on the southern and western (coastal) parts of the city. Yesterday, 450 Hamas targets were attacked, including many tunnels in which many terrorists were apparently eliminated. Reports about our forces entering last night at the Shifa Hospital, under which the Hamas command center is located, turned out to be incorrect.
In fact, the IDF is carefully but intensively finalizing preparations to enter Gaza City. These preparations include completing the surrounding, transferring additional forces, armored vehicle raids inside the city (already underway) to eliminate terrorists and damage their defensive positions, taking control of the areas around the city (to protect our forces against attacks from the flanks and rear), clearing and scanning the areas under control, and creating reliable supply routes.
The tempo of shelling enemy targets inside the city has also increased significantly. The goal is to eliminate as many terrorists, observation and anti-tank posts, headquarters, etc. as possible. All this is done to " mitigate" the areas that will be taken under control in the next phase, which will make the entry of ground units the easiest, most maneuverable and safe, as well as fast.
Additionally, a massive airstrike carried out by our forces this evening against targets in the northern Gaza Strip eliminated several Hamas leaders (“company and battalion commanders”).