IDF pounds Gaza with deadly airstrikes, ground raids ahead of cease-fire
Smoke has been seen rising from the Gaza Strip Wednesday as Israel and Hamas are preparing to implement a temporary cease-fire in the region, which Egyptian state media says will go into effect at 3 a.m. ET Thursday.
Residents in Gaza City reported to the Associated Press that fighting there intensified overnight with gunfire and airstrikes.
“Apparently they want to advance before the truce,” resident Nasser al-Sheikh was quoted as saying.
The Israel Defense Forces, in a post on X this morning, reiterated once again for people in Gaza City to evacuate the area.
“Hamas has lost its control over northern Gaza and is trying to prevent Gazans from moving southward for their safety,” it added.
The IDF said in a statement that Israeli forces "continue to operate in the Gaza Strip to kill terrorists, destroy terrorist infrastructure, and locate weapons stored inside civilian buildings."
"This morning, IDF troops neutralized a terror tunnel shaft from which a Hamas terrorist exited and fired at the soldiers. Moreover, IDF troops identified terrorists and located weapons in a structure used by the Hamas terrorist organization," the IDF said. "The troops killed the terrorists and destroyed the structure."
"In addition, over the past day, as part of the assistance to ground troops, Israeli Navy forces struck several Hamas military targets, including a structure from which sniper fire was carried out against the troops, as well as several military posts located along the coastline," the IDF continued.
Fox News' Dana Karni contributed to this report.
Posted by Greg Norman