:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/7NBWJ7LMJVALVE5QUTMT3EFU2Q.jpeg "Israel kills dozens of terrorists in ground combat and targeted airstrikes in Gaza")
Israeli Forces Kill Dozens of Terrorists in Ground and Aerial Attacks in Gaza
Israeli troops carried out an operation in the Al Zaytun neighborhood in Gaza City, where residents had been ordered to evacuate the day before. The Israel Defense Forces detained over 20 terrorists believed to have participated in the October 7 massacre at the Nasser Hospital. According to a military spokesman, the operation led to the killing of dozens of terrorists in ground combat and selective air strikes, resulting in the location of numerous weapons.
The clashes saw Palestinian militiamen launching anti-tank missiles against Israeli troops, who responded with attacks from fighter planes and helicopters. A military statement said that “numerous weapons were located” during the operation, and that the Army also carried out “multiple aerial activities in the Zaytun neighborhood, attacking dozens of terrorist targets where terrorist infrastructure was located.”
In addition to the operations in the Zaytun neighborhood, Israeli troops intensified their activities in Khan Younis, killing around twenty of their members. According to official Palestinian news agency Wafa, dozens of people were killed or injured due to Israeli bombings. Civil rescue teams and ambulances were reportedly unable to reach the attacked areas in the neighborhood to recover the bodies of the dead and transport the injured.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that Israel would not pay any price for the return of the hostages still held in Gaza, refusing to release them “at any cost.” This stance prompted rebukes from opposition leader Yair Lapid and Minister Benny Gantz, angering some hostage families who have been trying to pressure the government to reach an agreement.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office released a statement echoing Smotrich’s position, saying that Israel would not be willing to pay any price, “certainly not the delusional cost that Hamas demands of us, which would mean the defeat of the State of Israel.”
The ongoing military operations and the government’s position on releasing hostages continue as part of the broader conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.