Israeli army eliminates Hamas marine special forces commander VIDEO

During the night of October 20, IDF fighter jets and drones continued to strike the military facilities of the Hamas militant organisation in the Gaza Strip.

The Israel Defence Forces spokesperson's office told NEWSru.co.il that IDF air force and navy fighter jets struck the operational headquarters of a special Hamas naval unit. The strike killed Mamdouh Shaalabiya, the commander of the special unit responsible for planning and executing attacks from the sea.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the front line and met with soldiers of the elite Golani infantry brigade deployed near the border with the Gaza Strip.

"We are going to win with all our might. All of Israel is behind you, and we are going to heavily strike our enemies so that we can achieve victory," Netanyahu told a group of soldiers.

According to the newspaper, senior Israeli officials have paid a series of visits to the servicemen of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stationed near the Gaza Strip in recent days, warning them of the inevitability of a large-scale ground operation to eradicate the Hamas terrorist group and predicting that the fighting will be difficult and long, but ultimately victorious.

Israeli army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht said earlier that the military has not yet made a final decision on a ground operation in Gaza. The spokesman pointed out that Israel is capable of withstanding a two-front war.

However, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday hinted at starting an expected ground operation in the Gaza Strip soon as he visited troops on the border.

"You see Gaza now from a distance, you will soon see it from inside. The orders will come," Gallant told the soldiers.

The head of the IDF Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman said the expected ground offensive would be “long and intense.”

“This war was forced on us, with a cruel enemy that harmed us greatly. But we stopped them… we are striking them heavily,” Finkelman told troops near the Gaza border.

“Now, the maneuver is going to move the fighting to their territory. We are going to beat them in their territory,” he said. “It’s going to be difficult, long and intense.”

On October 7, backed by a barrage of rockets, Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns, killing dozens and abducting others in an unprecedented surprise attack during a major Jewish holiday Saturday. A stunned Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza, with its prime minister saying the country is now at war with Hamas and vowing to inflict an “unprecedented price.”