Israel Begins Operations in Southern Gaza, IDF Chief of Staff: Just as Strong as in the North

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi. (Source: IDF)

JAKARTA - Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi confirmed that his troops have begun operating in southern Gaza, while ground operations in the north of the enclave continue.

Armed clashes broke out again in Gaza last week, after Israel accused the Palestinian militant group Hamas of not upholding an agreement and violating a ceasefire that had been in place for the previous week which resulted in the release of hostages and detainees on both sides, and allowed the entry of humanitarian aid.

Speaking to troops in the Gaza Division in southern Israel, Lt. Gen. Halevi said "yesterday, today, we killed the (Hamas) battalion commander, company commander and many agents. And yesterday morning, we started the same action in the south of the Gaza Strip," reported The Times of Israel December 4.

"This operation will not be less powerful than (the operation in northern Gaza) and the results will not be less," said Halevi.

"Hamas commanders will meet the IDF anywhere," he stressed.

As previously reported, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the expansion of its troops' ground operations in Gaza on Sunday.

"We have the ability to do it in the most comprehensive way, and just as we did it forcefully and comprehensively in the north of the Gaza Strip, we are also doing it now in the south of the Gaza Strip, and we are also continuing to deepen the achievements in the north of the Gaza Strip," explained Lieutenant General Halevi.

It is known that unverified footage circulating online over the past few days shows Israeli tanks in southern Gaza, north of Khan Younis. On the other hand, Hamas also claims to have clashed with troops in the region.