Israeli tanks reach strategic intersection in Gaza City

Israel defence forces' tanks on Monday reached a strategic intersection on the main road in Gaza City, Israel-based i24 News reported.

The tanks were spotted on the Salah al Din thoroughfare which connects Gaza City in the north to Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Gaza based channels reported spotting IDF tanks at the Netzer intersection in Gaza City, a strategic point deep inside the enclave.

As per i24 News, the IDF has been gradually expanding its ground operation in Gaza.

This is the furthest inside the Strip that Israeli forces have reportedly been seen.

The intersection is a strategic point that dominates the thoroughfare.

The IDF has said that amid the ongoing ground operation in the Gaza Strip in the last few hours, troops directed combat helicopters and drones to strike Hamas cells.

The forces also demolished anti-tank guided missile launch positions.

According to the IDF, forces have been continuing their ground operations in the Gaza Strip for the past few hours.

IDF fighters with the help of combat helicopters and remote manned aircraft, directed by the forces, eliminated terrorist squads that tried to attack the forces.

The IDF forces under the direction of the Aman (Israel Military Intelligence) and the Shin Bet (Domestic Intelligence) eliminated operatives of the terrorist organisation Hamas.

IDF said among the Hamas terrorists targeted was Jamil Baba, the commander of the naval force in the central camps, Muhammad Safadi- the commander of the anti-tank formation in the Tafah battalion, Muwaman Hegazi- a prominent operative of the Anti-Tank gun formation in the Tafah battalion and Muhammad Awadallah who was a senior in the office of the production headquarters of Hamas.

Earlier, the IDF said its ground operations in Gaza continued and expanded overnight.

An IAF aircraft--guided by ground forces--struck a Hamas post and the 20+ terrorist operatives in it.

According to the IDF, soldiers spotted armed terrorists and an anti-tank missile launching post near the Al-Azhar University and guided an IAF fighter jet to strike them.

IDF forces also eliminated multiple terrorists barricaded within civilian buildings and terrorist tunnels who attempted to attack the forces.