IDF close to securing ‘full operational control’ in northern Gaza, readying to expand in south

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

In this photo distributed by the Israel Defense Forces on December 22, 2023, Israeli troops are seen in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war against the Hamas terror group. (Israel Defense Forces)
In this photo distributed by the Israel Defense Forces on December 22, 2023, Israeli troops are seen in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war against the Hamas terror group. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the military is nearing complete “operational control” of northern Gaza, as it further expands operations in the southern part of the Strip.

“IDF troops are continuing ground operations in Khan Younis, and at the same time are preparing to expand the activity to additional areas of the Strip, with an emphasis on its south,” Hagari says in a press conference.

He says this comes as the IDF is at “the final stages of operational control” in northern Gaza, with troops battling the last standing Hamas battalion, in the Daraj and Tuffah neighborhoods of Gaza City.

Hagari says the military is still fighting Hamas in other areas of northern Gaza, albeit at a “lower intensity.”

“We are almost at full operational control in the north” of the Gaza Strip, he says.

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