From the Liveblog of
Sunday, December 3, 2023
IDF chief: Ground op in south Gaza has begun, will be as ‘powerful’ as operations in north
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi confirms the military is beginning to operate in southern Gaza, as ground operations continue in the northern part of the Strip.
Speaking to troops at the Gaza Division in southern Israel, Halevi says “yesterday, today, we killed [Hamas] battalion commanders, company commanders and many operatives. And yesterday morning we started the same move in the south of the Gaza Strip.”
“It will be no less powerful than [the operations in northern Gaza], it will have no less results,” Halevi says. “The Hamas commanders will meet the IDF everywhere.”
“We have the capabilities to do it in the most thorough way, and just as we did it with strength and thoroughly in the north of the Gaza Strip, we are also doing it now in the south of the Gaza Strip, and we also continue to deepen the achievements in the north of the Gaza Strip,” he adds.
Unverified footage circulated online over the past day has shown Israeli tanks in southern Gaza, north of Khan Younis. Hamas has also claimed to have clashed with troops in the area.
The Times of Israel Community.