Israeli military forces have ended combat operations in the Jabalia area of north Gaza. This comes after destroying more than 10 kilometres of tunnels during days of intense fighting which included over 200 air strikes.
Pressing an offensive into Rafah, Israeli forces said they found rocket launchers and other weapons as well as tunnel shafts built by Hamas in the city centre.  This was in the south end of Gaza. The troops aim to break up Hamas’ fighting formations in the city on the border with Egypt.
Israeli troops withdrawn for other operations
The Israeli military said troops had completed their operation in Jabalia. They have been withdrawn to prepare for other operations in Gaza. During the operation the troops recovered bodies of seven of the 250 hostages Hamas abducted on October 7 last year.
A military statement said Israeli troops killed hundreds of militants in close-quarter combat and seized large caches of weaponry. It also destroyed rocket launchers primed for use. Israeli forces disabled a tunnel network and killed Hamas’ district battalion commander.
Hamas commanders eliminated in Jabalia
There were weeks of heavy fighting in Jabalia in the early stages of the Israeli campaign. The military said in January it had killed all the Hamas commanders. It had also eliminated the combat formations of Gaza’s ruling group in the area.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel to come up with a post-war plan for Gaza. He warned that without one further military gains might not be durable. As a result, a Hamas comeback could ensue.
With inputs from Reuters
