Troops enter pair of Gaza City neighborhoods as IDF expands offensive against Hamas

By Emanuel Fabian

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12 April 2025, 6:24 pm 8 Edit

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

Troops of the 401st Armored Brigade operate in the Daraj and Tuffah area of Gaza City, in a handout photo and issued on April 12, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Overnight, the Israel Defense Forces expanded its offensive against Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip, with troops pushing into the Gaza City neighborhoods of Daraj and Tuffah.

The military says the operation is intended to expand the buffer zone along the Gaza border. In most areas, the IDF has been expanding the buffer zone up to around 2 kilometers deep into Gaza.

So far, the IDF says troops have killed several terror operatives and destroyed observation posts, tunnels, and other Hamas infrastructure.

The IDF says it is enabling Palestinian civilians to evacuate the area “for their safety.”