Israeli army raids residences of senior Hamas officials in Gaza

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers have operated in Sheikh Ijlin and Rimal areas in Gaza to identify and destroy Hamas infrastructure and assets.

“During the operations, the soldiers located approximately 35 tunnel shafts as well as a large number of weapons and eliminated terrorists,” Al Arabiya quotes the IDF as saying in a statement.

Additionally, the Israeli soldiers “operated in a Hamas military base belonging to the terrorist organization’s military intelligence unit. During the operation, IDF soldiers located ammunition depots and seven rocket launchers.”

“Embedded in the Rimal area are the residences of senior Hamas officials, who took control of the buildings in the area to conduct and direct terrorist activities. Military posts and Hamas infrastructure are also located in the area,” the statement reads.

A commander in the Paratroopers Brigade said: “During searches of the Rimal area, we located a large number of weapons belonging to Hamas terrorists, including laptops, memory devices, technical documents, and other combat items including tactical uniforms, shirts, knee pads, magazine and ammunition, 7.62 mm and 5.56 mm, shirts that seemingly belong to the organization, military vests, shoes, and many more documents with enemy psychological warfare and information about the [Israeli army] including the location of ambushes and the strength of the [Israeli army] and other documents.”

Hamas has not yet commented on the Israeli army’s statements.

Israeli warplanes launched a series of violent airstrikes against various areas in the northern besieged Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian news agency WAFA. The shelling targeted several areas in the Jabalia refugee camp, civilian homes in Beit Lahia, the vicinity of residential towers in Gaza's Sheikh Zayed City, and the vicinity of the Indonesian hospital.

So far, the Palestinian health ministry reported that the death toll due to Israeli aggression has reached at least 12,012 and over 32,300 injured.