Israel 'taking the war to Hamas,' confirms troops conducting 'sweep and clear' operations over last 'several days': report
By David Spector
Israeli ground troops are "taking the war to Hamas, and have been conducting "sweep and clear" operations in the Gaza strip Israel Defense Forces spokesman Peter Lerner said in an interview with ABC.
Lerner said troops were attempting to create "optimal" ground conditions in the strip for the last "several days," but would not confirm if troops were engaged in Gaza currently due to "operational concerns."
Israel has previously announced an expansion of their ground operations in Gaza.
Lerner says Israel's mission is to "dismantle" Hamas' capabilities and "destroy their government," so that the terrorist group could " never use the Gaza Strip as a staging ground against our people again."
"We are seeking out anti-tank capabilities, we are destroying observation posts and we are engaging the terrorists where we find them," Lerner said.
Lerner went on to say that Israel's mission would be "dismantling" Hamas capabilities and "destroying their government," so the terrorist group "can never use the Gaza Strip as a staging ground against our people again."
Meanwhile, Hamas claims to have been engaged in battle with Israeli troops in the northern part of the strip, according to Axios reporter Barak Ravid.