IDF to relocate units in North for expanded operations into Gaza

Sources in the IDF General Staff say the order to relocate units is part of an effort to increase pressure on Hamas as hostage deal talks stagnate.

By AMIR BOHBOT, WALLA! DECEMBER 28, 2024 20:41 Updated: DECEMBER 28, 2024 20:42

The IDF begins operations in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza on September 28, 2024. (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Amid delays in negotiations for the release of the Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi ordered preparations to expand military operations in the Gaza Strip by reallocating forces from other sectors, sources from the IDF General Staff reported on Saturday.

According to the sources, IDF units currently operating in the north have been instructed in recent days to prepare for redeployment to Gaza. This move is part of an effort to increase military pressure on Hamas and other terrorist organizations in additional areas. The units include armored and engineering forces.

At the same time, the Southern Command has already begun advancing planning and conducting aerial operations as part of preparations for an expanded operation. The IDF’s current efforts include operations by the 162nd Division in northern Gaza, the 99th Division in the Netzarim corridor, and the Gaza Division in the buffer zone, the southern Gaza Strip, and along the Philadelphi Route.

Also on Saturday evening, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met with a Hamas delegation headed by negotiation leader Khalil al-Hayyain Doha to discuss a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.

Earlier on Saturday, two rockets were launched from northern Gaza toward the Jerusalem area. Both were intercepted. The IDF stated that the air force intercepted both rockets as they entered Israeli airspace. “The widespread alerts stemmed from concerns over interception debris,” military officials explained. The IDF estimated that the rockets were launched from the Beit Hanoun area.

Responding to the rocket fire, Southern Command sources noted that terrorist organizations in Gaza still possess medium-range rockets and are making efforts to rebuild their capabilities in both rockets and mortars.

Closing in on Hamas

Over the weekend, soldiers from the 401st Brigade, naval commandos from Shayetet 13, and investigators from Unit 504, under the command of the 162nd Division and with intelligence support from Military Intelligence and the Shin Bet, carried out a targeted operation against terrorist objectives in the vicinity of Kamal Adwan Hospital.

The operation followed intelligence reports indicating that the hospital had resumed serving as a Hamas stronghold and a refuge for militants despite repeated warnings to refrain from using medical facilities for military purposes.

At the start of the operation, forces from the 401st Brigade encircled the hospital, arresting militants hiding in the area and eliminating others. Shayetet 13 forces carried out focused actions within the hospital, locating and seizing weapons, including grenades, pistols, ammunition, and other military equipment.

During the operation, over 240 terrorists from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as other suspected terrorists, were detained. Some attempted to disguise themselves as patients or medical staff, while others tried to flee in ambulances.

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Among the detainees were the hospital director, suspected of being a Hamas operative, and Hamas terrorists specializing in anti-tank and engineering operations.