IDF expands operations in Gaza, flattens Hamas command center

The IDF launched a new ground operation in the Shuja'iya neighborhood of Gaza early Friday morning, aiming to expand its established security zone in the area, the military announced.

According to the IDF, Israeli troops encountered and eliminated numerous terrorists during the operation, while also dismantling significant Hamas infrastructure. Among the targets destroyed was a Hamas command and control center, which the military said was used to plan and carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli forces and civilians.

The IDF emphasized that it made efforts to allow the safe evacuation of civilians ahead of and during the combat operation, opening designated routes to ensure non-combatants could leave the area before fighting intensified.

In a related development, the Israel Air Force carried out a wave of heavy airstrikes Thursday night in the eastern part of Gaza City, according to a report by Walla News. These strikes targeted northern areas of the Strip as part of a broader military push.

As Israel ramps up pressure on Hamas from both the north and the south, defense officials now estimate that the IDF is close to achieving control over approximately 30% of the Gaza Strip.

Division 36, which had previously remained on standby, has now fully joined the campaign, focusing operations in northern Rafah. This division joins Division 252, active in northern and central Gaza, and Division 143, operating in the southern Rafah region, continuing a large-scale offensive that began intensifying in mid-March.