Yanki Farber
The combat team of the Givati Brigade, under the command of the 162nd Division, has joined the forces of the 99th Division and began operating to encircle Beit Hanoun, located in the northern Gaza Strip. The forces are working to destroy terror infrastructure, eliminate terrorists, and deny Hamas military capabilities in the area.
Kan 11 reported that the decision to bring in the Givati Brigade was made several days ago—before five soldiers from the Netzah Yehuda Battalion were killed in an IED explosion in Beit Hanoun. An additional 14 soldiers were wounded in the incident.
At the same time, reports from Gaza indicated that Israeli Air Force jets carried out a “fire belt”—heavy and continuous gunfire accompanied by waves of airstrikes—in the Beit Hanoun area.
Ynet reported that, in the background of the operation, the IDF says that dozens of Hamas terrorists are currently in Beit Hanoun, both above and below ground, conducting guerrilla operations and attacking soldiers, such as in the IED explosion. The 99th Division began destroying all terror infrastructure and eliminating the terrorists—above and below ground—a few days ago. However, most of the combat is happening underground.
