The IDF on Monday launched a division-level push into western Khan Yunis, ushering what will likely be the most intense fighting since early December when the military first entered other parts of Hamas’s southern capital.
Division 98 has unleashed serious forces from its seven brigades, artillery, tanks, and air support, and surrounded western Khan Yunis which until now the IDF had mostly steered clear of.
The IDF earlier announced a large number of airstrikes which were meant to soften up the area for ground forces to move into the new areas more easily.
For the last seven weeks, IDF attacks on Khan Yunis had focused on the northern and eastern portions of the city.
A hotspot for Hamas terrorists
The IDF called western Khan Yunis the heart of Hamas’s operations, including areas where its top two leaders Yahya Sinwar and Muhammad Deif, grew up.
IDF: this is the densest, most sensitive part of Khan Yunis
The IDF said that this part of Khan Yunis is the densest, offering less room to maneuver, containing a larger number of civilians and sensitive sites, including hospitals.
It said that it had learned many lessons from dealing with some parallel issues in northern Gaza, while also noting some elements unique to southern Gaza.
Around 50 Hamas terrorists have already been killed, including a company commander.
The IDF hopes this new push will break the ability of the Khan Yunis brigade to continue to fight as an organized force, but there are still no immediate plans to enter Rafah or take control of the Philadelphi Corridor along the border with Egypt.
The IDF has not said anything specific about having a lead on the whereabouts of the Hamas leadership or the hostages, though the operation seemed at the very least designed to increase pressure on the terror group.
IDF attacks Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
In the North, the IDF attacked a series of Hezbollah targets in five different areas of southern Lebanon, the IDF Spokesperson Unit said on Monday.
This was the most significant Israeli attack in Lebanon since dozens of simultaneous IDF air force strikes on Wadi Saluki on January 16.
Air Force fighter jets attacked a military building in the Maroon al-Ras area earlier today where Hezbollah terrorists were staying.
In addition, three Hezbollah observation posts and a military structure were attacked in the areas of Marvin, Shehin, Tayba, and Tir-Kharfa in southern Lebanon. In addition, IDF forces attacked several other southern Lebanese areas, the Spokesperson Unit said.
The military has been hitting Hezbollah much harder in recent weeks, reaching a second level of escalation. In the early months of the war, the IDF mostly just counter-attacked rocket-firing crews.
Just over a month ago, the IDF started to attack Hezbollah more preemptively in areas of southern Lebanon closer to the border, even if they were using villages as large-scale human shields.
This latest escalation has seen a far greater volume of simultaneous preemptive attacks on Hezbollah terrorists close to the border as well as attacks on higher ranking Hezbollah officials.
Three soldiers killed in Khan Yunis ambush
Separately, the IDF on Monday announced that three IDF soldiers were killed in an ambush in Khan Yunis. This brought the number of soldiers killed in the war, including on October 7, to 535, and the number of soldiers killed since the invasion of Gaza to 200.
The three were identified as Maj. David Nati Alfasi, 27 from Beersheba, Maj. Ilay Levy, 24 from Tel Aviv, and Capt. Eyal Mevorach Twito, 22 from Beit Gamliel.
All three were in Battalion 202 of the paratroopers.
In Daraj Tuffah in northern Gaza, the IDF found a large training center for Hamas naval commandos.
IDF forces also found a number of rockets and launch platforms.
These latest discoveries were made after additional patrols revealed a new extensive two kilometer tunnel network, which the IDF destroyed.
There was only one rocket siren on Monday.