From the Liveblog of
Thursday, November 2, 2023
IDF says dozens of Hamas terrorists killed in prolonged battles overnight in Gaza
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The Israel Defense Forces says ground forces and tanks clashed with Hamas terror cells in the northern Gaza Strip overnight, killing dozens of operatives.
In a statement, the IDF says troops of the Golani Infantry Brigade led “prolonged battles” against Hamas terrorists who had fired missiles, set off explosive devices, and hurled grenades at the forces.
The military says the Golani troops fought back, assisted by artillery and tank shelling, and while calling in an airstrike and missile strikes by the Navy.
“At the end of the fighting, dozens of terrorists were killed,” the IDF says.
It says that troops of the Nahal Infantry Brigade also encountered a group of Hamas gunmen who opened fire at them, and directed an aircraft to strike and kill the terror cell.
Reservist forces, meanwhile, directed an aircraft to strike an anti-tank squad, with navy support, according to the IDF.
The IDF says that it has continued to strike Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip, including weapons manufacturing and storage facilities, anti-tank missile launching positions, and drone launching positions.
