Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) deployed troops to Gaza for the first time since the collapse of Israel’s ceasefire agreement with Hamas on Wednesday.
The IDF troops are deployed to the Netzarim corridor, a key section of Gaza that essentially cuts the strip in half. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has continued to vow that Israel will maintain is military operations until every hostage has been returned from Hamas custody.
The IDF described Wednesday’s deployment as a “limited ground operation,” but has not said whether it will remain limited to the Netzarim corridor.
The move follows a multi-day wave of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza that killed over 400 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
The IDF says its strikes on Monday and Tuesday eliminated a number of mid- and high-level Hamas officials. Among them was Essam al-Da’alis, head of the Hamas government and “the most senior figure of authority in the Gaza Strip.”
