The IDF says its troops have carried out a series of strikes against Hamas anti-tank squads amidst escalating conflict in the southern and central Gaza Strip. The IDF said that in Khan Younis, reservists from the Kiryati Brigade successfully guided an Israeli Air Force aircraft to target three Hamas operatives who were attempting to plant a bomb close to IDF forces. Additionally, two more Hamas gunmen were neutralized by the troops in a nearby building. The IDF also reported an IAF fighter jet striking a Hamas weapons depot in Khan Younis. In another incident in southern Gaza, Hamas operatives launched anti-tank missiles at the 7th Armored Brigade. Following this, an IAF aircraft responded by hitting both the cell responsible for the attack and the missile launch position. In central Gaza, particularly in Deir al Balah, the IDF’s 98th Division directed an airstrike against a building used by Hamas as an anti-tank missile launch site. The IAF fighter jet targeted not only the launch site but also two additional buildings where operatives had fled. Furthermore, another Hamas operative, who arrived later to search for weapons, was struck in a separate airstrike. In al-Bureij, also located in central Gaza, the IDF reports that the Golani Brigade found several long-range rocket launchers. The Navy, supporting ground operations, has also been active along the Gaza coast. According to the IDF, naval strikes in the past day have eliminated several Hamas operatives who were planning an ambush on ground forces. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)