The Israeli government announced Saturday that it is preparing to expand its military response to Hamas with a “coordinated attack from the air, sea, and land.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on its website that forces will ramp up the response to the deadly Hamas terror attack on Israel with an “emphasis on a significant ground operation.” In the past few days, the Israeli forces have transferred combat equipment and tools and have prepared IDF battalions for the “next stages of the war.”
“[T]he IDF forces, backed by an extensive logistical effort and completing the reserve mobilization of hundreds of thousands of servicemen, are preparing to implement a wide range of offensive operative plans which include, among other things, an integrated and coordinated attack from the air, sea and land,” the IDF said.
Last Saturday, Hamas unleashed a brutal attack on Israel, invading the country with thousands of terrorists who targeted the most vulnerable Israelis, including children and infants. Hamas killed more than 1,300 people, including 27 Americans, and took around 150 people hostage into the Gaza Strip.
Israel responded with around-the-clock airstrikes hitting Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip as the Israeli military has told civilians in Gaza to flee. The civilians, however, have been prevented by Hamas from leaving the territory, and the terrorists are known for using innocent civilians — even young children and babies — as shields.
The IDF also said that it killed a Hamas commander who led the attack on Israel. Ali Qadi was “eliminated” by Israeli aircraft using intelligence gathered by the Military Intelligence Directorate, according to the Jerusalem Post. Israeli military officials also said that its forces had killed Merad Abu Merad, the head of Hamas’ aerial system.
“This is our time to face this test, and our job is to decide and win this war,” said IDF Commander of the 401st Brigade Col. Bnei Aharon. “We have the best people, we have the best general. We are a combination of the best forces in the world. We are here to keep and protect you.”