IDF Surrounds Gaza from Multiple Sides, Says Chief of Staff

The Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Lieutenant General Herzl Halevi, has stated that Israeli forces are operating inside Gaza City and surrounding it from several directions. He noted that after the expansion of ground operations, 18 Israeli soldiers have been killed.

“We have entered another important phase of the war. Israeli forces are in the heart of northern Gaza, operating in Gaza City, surrounding it, deepening the ground offensive, and achieving success,” Halevi said, as quoted by the Times of Israel.

According to him, the IDF is fighting in a densely populated and complex urban environment. “Ground forces are accompanied by precise intelligence, air, and naval fire,” he added.

The Israeli ground forces entered the Gaza Strip on the evening of October 27. On October 31, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the transition to the third phase of the war and an increase in ground troops in Gaza. Yesterday, on November 1, Israeli soldiers reported that they had breached the Hamas defensive frontline in northern Gaza.