Israeli forces attacked Hamas gunmen inside the terror group’s vast tunnel network beneath Gaza, military sources said on Tuesday.
The underground battles were reported as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed calls for a ceasefire to ease the humanitarian crisis in the besieged strip.
“Over the last day, combined IDF combat forces struck approximately 300 targets, including anti-tank missile and rocket launch posts below shafts, as well as military compounds inside underground tunnels belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation,” the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said.
Hamas fighters responded with anti-tank missiles and machine gun fire, it added.
“The soldiers killed terrorists and directed air forces to real-time strikes on targets and terror infrastructure,” the IDF added.
Witnesses said Israeli forces targeted Gaza’s main north-south road on Monday and attacked Gaza city from two directions, in what was believed to be the start of an attempt to encircle it.
Israel is seeking to destroy Hamas, which is believed to have 300-miles of tunnels under Gaza, after the October 7 slaughter of more than 1,400 people, including women and children, in the south of the country and the seizing of 239 hostages.
But health chiefs in the enclave, 25 mile long and six miles wide, say more than 8,000 people, including at least 3,450 children, have died since Israel unleashed its air strikes, around three weeks ago, and now ground attacks.
Many of the hostages are believed to be being held in the Hamas tunnel network.
The freeing in a raid of Israeli soldier Ori Megidish, who was seized on October 7, raises hopes for British hostages being held in Gaza, a minister said.
Asked if her release was good news for the small number of British citizens among the hostages, transport minister Richard Holden told Sky News: “I think it is.
“It is positive news that things are able to change.
“But we are living in a situation where we are trying to deal with a very difficult terror group who are running Gaza.”
Over the last day, during ground operations:
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 31, 2023
🔻Numerous Hamas terrorists have been eliminated.
🔻The IAF struck terrorist targets and infrastructure.
🔻IDF combat forces struck approximately 300 targets, including:
• Anti-tank missiles posts.
• Rocket launch posts.
•… pic.twitter.com/RymFDCFrw1
As the humanitarian crisis worsens, Mr Netanyahu was said to have committed in talks with Joe Biden to a “significant increase” in the flow of aid, with Washington pushing for at least 100 lorries a day entering Gaza through the Rafah crossing from Egypt.
The al-Qassam brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, said its gunmen clashed early on Tuesday with Israeli forces “invading the southern Gaza axis, (including) with machine guns, and targeted four vehicles with al-Yassin 105 missiles,” referring to locally produced anti-tank missiles.
Mr Netanyahu said late on Monday that Israel would not agree to a cessation of hostilities with Hamas in Gaza and would press ahead with its plans to wipe out the group.
“Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism, to surrender to barbarism. That will not happen,” he stressed in televised remarks.
Military specialists said Israeli forces are moving slowly in their ground offensive in part to keep open the possibility that Hamas will negotiate the release of more hostages.
The relative caution with which Israeli troops have taken and secured slices of territory in the first days of sustained ground operations in Gaza stands in contrast to the past three weeks of unrelenting air strikes on the enclave, as well as to Israel’s previous land offensives there.
