The IDF is expanding its offensive against Hamas terrorists in Beit Hanoun, as the 162nd Division will take over the fighting form the Gaza Division, according to Army Radio reporter Doron Kadosh.
The Nachal Brigade will remain in the area and will be given reinforcements, thus increasing the size of the force fighting in Beit Hanoun.
Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has recently come in for serious criticism for his approach to fighting Hamas. The doctrine until now has been to degrade Hamas units to about 30% of their fighting capacity with ground offensives, and then continue to damage and degrade them with targeted raids.
However, critics noted that raids always left the territory to Hamas to reorganize and rebuild, even if at a lower capacity, allowing for them to bury more IEDs and rearm, killing IDF soldiers when they return for another raid.
Commanders currently fighting in the northern Gaza Strip told Doron Kadosh that this time, it is different. The IDF is working now to entirely eliminate any and all Hamas forces, weapons and infrastructure in the northern Gaza Strip in a much more thorough manner.
According to them, fighting in Jebaliya, which has been going on for three months, has largely died down due to the IDF's success and the army's goals there have been largely achieved.
The increase in forces around Beit Hanoun is similarly aimed to thoroughly end the threat posed by forces in that area to Israeli towns in the Gaza Perimeter.
The next question is whether the IDF will hold onto areas dominating northern Gaza in order to better protect the towns, a decision which remains up to the political leadership and depends on the terms of the pending hostage deal.
Reports regarding the terms of the hostage deal are contradictory and depend on the source reporting it.
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