IDF tanks, troops push into Gaza in limited raid ahead of ground offensive

The Israel Defense Forces deployed a limited ground incursion into Gaza overnight, sending infantry forces and tanks up to a kilometer into the northern part of the Strip, the military said Thursday morning. The “targeted raid” appeared to be the most significant ground offensive into the Palestinian enclave since war broke out earlier this month, as the IDF prepares a full-scale invasion to eliminate the Hamas terror group that rules the Strip. According to the IDF, the raid — led by the Givati infantry brigade and the 162nd Armored Division — was part of preparing the border area for the “next stages of the war,” referring to the full ground offensive promised by Israeli officials.