Troops killed around 40 Hamas operatives around Khan Younis over past day, says IDF

As fighting intensifies in southern Gaza, IDF troops operating in the Khan Younis area killed some 40 Hamas operatives over the past day, the military says.

In one incident in Khan Younis, the IDF says the 7th Armored Brigade shelled four Hamas gunmen who were approaching the troops.

Also in Khan Younis, the IDF says, soldiers of the elite Egoz unit raided the home of a Hamas operative and seized weapons.

Meanwhile, in northern Gaza, where the military is carrying out clear-up operations, the IDF says reservists of the 5th Brigade, using tank shelling, killed two gunmen who attempted to ambush the troops.

Several more Hamas operatives were killed in airstrikes in northern Gaza, the IDF says, indicating that troops are still encountering gunmen in areas it says it has established “operational control.”

Also in northern Gaza, reservists of the Yiftah Brigade spotted Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives rigging a car up with explosives and entering a nearby building. The IDF says a short while later, one of the operatives came out the building and was struck by an aircraft. The booby-trapped car was also struck, which the IDF says set off a large secondary explosion.

The IDF adds that in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood, reservists of the 179th Armored Brigade located a cache of anti-tank mines, RPGs and other military equipment.