Israel escalates Gaza strikes, targets Hamas military facility, ships

Israeli forces launched a targeted attack on a Hamas military facility located in the northern Gaza Strip.

The strike was carried out in response to intelligence that revealed preparations for shelling operations aimed at Israeli territory by Hamas militants, Caliber.Az reports via Israeli army.

In addition to the strike on the facility, Israeli naval forces targeted and destroyed several ships off the Gaza coastline. These vessels were reportedly involved in combat operations carried out by Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, further escalating the ongoing military confrontation.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have emphasized that their actions are part of a broader strategy to disrupt the operational capabilities of Hamas and other militant groups in the region. The continued clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian factions have led to heightened tensions in the area, with ongoing military responses from both sides.

The situation remains fluid, with both sides preparing for further confrontations.

On March 18, Israel vowed to intensify its military strikes on terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip unless Hamas returned to "genuine" negotiations for the release of remaining hostages. The military’s large-scale bombing campaign, which began early in the morning, resulted in the deaths of at least 400 Palestinians, according to Hamas health authorities. Among those killed were several senior members of Hamas.

The airstrikes ended nearly two months of relative calm in the war-torn Gaza Strip, where a fragile ceasefire had held until the attacks. The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security agency confirmed that their strikes throughout the day focused on terror cells, rocket-launching positions, weapons caches, and other military infrastructure. These targets were reportedly set to be used in planned attacks on Israeli territory.

Additionally, the IDF announced that it had successfully eliminated the de facto prime minister of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, along with several other senior Hamas officials, in the March 18 strikes. 

By Vafa Guliyeva