Israeli soldiers have expanded operations against Hamas in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced today.

- IDF troops have begun operations against terrorist infrastructure in the Beit Lahia area, the IDF said. "At the same time, IDF troops continue to operate in the Jabalia area and have eliminated approximately 50 terrorists over the past day," the statement added.

The city of Beit Lahia is located in the extreme north of the Gaza Strip, while the Jabalia refugee camp is located in its immediate south.

Palestinian sources repeatedly report many civilian casualties in the devastated area and the humanitarian situation is described as catastrophic, reports DPA.

The IDF has urged the population to evacuate the area, but residents report that many refuse to leave because they consider other parts of the Gaza Strip unsafe and fear the dangerous route to leave the combat zone.

In the south, the IDF said troops "eliminated a large number of armed terrorists and destroyed terrorist infrastructure" in the area around Rafah on the border with Egypt.

The IDF is constantly returning to areas it previously abandoned as it tries to eliminate Hamas cells. Israel began its military campaign in the coastal belt following the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas on southern Israel in October 2023.