The IDF and Shin Bet security agency said Wednesday that they had destroyed three weapons depots and a rocket launch pit in the Gaza Strip that had been used to fire rockets at Israel during the war.
In a joint statement, the IDF and Shin Bet said the targeted strikes were carried out Tuesday in several areas of Gaza. They said the weapons depots belonged to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
IDF strikes weapons depots and a rocket launch pit in the Gaza Strip
(Video: IDF)
“The terrorist organizations stored dozens of different kinds of weapons inside the storage facilities, including rockets, Kalachnikov rifles, and additional combat equipment,” the statement said.
“Furthermore, the IDF identified that recently, Hamas terrorists have been arriving at the storage facilities and using the weapons stored inside them to establish control in the Gaza Strip and carry out operations.”
The military said its forces remain deployed along the so-called "yellow line," which runs through Gaza from north to south under the current ceasefire arrangements.
“The IDF will continue to operate decisively to degrade the capabilities of terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip while thwarting any attempt to rebuild capabilities or use weapons intended to harm IDF troops,” the military said. It added that troops under the IDF Southern Command were deployed in accordance with the agreement and would continue acting against immediate threats.
The latest strikes came days after the military attacked Hamas infrastructure in response to an explosive device that detonated against an IDF engineering vehicle in the yellow line sector of northern Gaza.
No soldiers were injured in the explosion.
The IDF described the incident as another Hamas violation of the ceasefire, though it remained unclear when the explosive device had been planted. The military opened an investigation to determine when the device was placed, leaving open the possibility that it had been planted before the current arrangements took effect.
The military said the Hamas infrastructure targeted in response had been used to advance plans for attacks against Israel and IDF troops.
The developments come as Israel considers a new model for transferring control of parts of Gaza away from the IDF.
Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz had instructed the military to draw up a plan for establishing “pilot zones” in Gaza, modeled on arrangements being implemented in southern Lebanon.
(Photo: IDF)
Under the emerging proposal, which Katz raised and Netanyahu supports, designated areas of Gaza would be entered by international forces tasked with clearing the territory, establishing governance and preventing Hamas operatives from returning.
The plan would be coordinated with the United States, according to the report.
The proposed model draws on Israel’s approach in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces withdraw from designated areas as they are transferred to the control of the Lebanese military.
The Gaza proposal remains under development and has not yet been implemented.