IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi spoke to the press on Motzei Shabbos about the ground incursion into the Gaza Strip that began on Friday night and continued throughout Shabbos. “Ground forces are carrying out an important and complex operation now,” Halevi said. “The objectives of this war require a ground operation. There are no achievements without risks and as we know, victory is achieved only at a price. In order to expose the enemy and destroy it, there is no other way than forcefully entering its territory. The best soldiers and commanders, well-trained and prepared, are operating in Gaza.” The IDF ground forces that entered Gaza attacked over 150 underground targets in the Strip overnight Friday, including tunnels and underground bunkers, and eliminated several senior Hamas commanders who played key roles in the planning of the October 7 massacre, including the head of the Hamas aerial array Atsem Abu Rakaba. Abu Rakaba was responsible for Hamas’ UAVs, drones, paragliders, and aerial detection and aerial defense systems. He oversaw the entry of Hamas terrorists into Israel on paragliders on October 7 and the launching of drone attacks on IDF bases. IDF soldiers in Gaza also struck terrorist cells as they were launching anti-tank missiles and mortar cells, struck a building where a number of terrorists had gathered, and destroyed a booby-trapped house. The expanded ground operation, which is not yet a full-scale ground offensive, is expected to last for an extended period of time and a large number of forces will remain in the Strip. דובר צה”ל: צה״ל המשיך במהלך היום בהרחבת הפעילות הקרקעית ברצועת עזה החל משעות הערב המוקדמות אמש, צה”ל בהובלת צוותי קרב משולבים של כוחות שיריון, הנדסה וחי״ר פועל קרקעית בצפון רצועת עזה. כחלק מהפעילות כוחות צה”ל זיהו חוליות מחבלים שניסו לשגר טילי נ”ט וירי תמ”ס ותקפו אותן. בנוסף,… pic.twitter.com/Xv8TOcmfVd — בז news (@1717Bazz) October 28, 2023 (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)