Israeli forces have launched a major assault against Hamas.
Israel's forces have intensified their assault on the Gaza Strip in the wake of the deadly attack carried out by the Hamas operatives on Saturday. Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas that rules the Gaza Strip in retribution for the deadliest attack, which its leaders compared to Holocaust. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dubbed the offensive as "war", which has now entered its sixth day. The Israeli military on Thursday said that Gaza strikes, overnight, focused on Hamas' elite 'Nukhba force', which believed to have led the bloody assault over the weekend, Newsweek reported.
What is the Nukhba force?
It is an elite Hamas force where operatives are selected by "senior Hamas operatives" and tasked with carrying out ambushes, raids, and moving through tunnels to infiltrate areas in Israel, said the Newsweek report.
These fighters are also involved in strikes using anti-tank missiles, rockets and sniper rifles. The commandos also protect the senior Hamas leadership.
A network of tunnels
Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said on Thursday that Hamas has constructed a network of underground tunnels stretching from Gaza City to other areas of the Gaza Strip in the years since the Palestinian group took control of the region in 2007.
He added that these tunnels are now being used by Hamas operatives, including the Nukhba force, to launch strikes.
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The IDF is now targeting these tunnels and other Hamas infrastructure where senior Hamas commanders are based.
Israel to launch ground invasion
Israeli army spokesman Richard Hecht said on Thursday that the military was readying for a potential order to launch a ground invasion in the war with Hamas: "This has not been decided yet... but we are preparing for a ground manoeuvre if it is decided."
"Right now we are focused on taking out their senior leadership," he told journalists.
Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz vowed the total siege of Gaza would continue until the hostages are freed.