The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that their overnight ground operation in the Gaza Strip involved clashes between troops and Hamas terrorists, The Times of Israel reported.
No soldiers were reported injured during these confrontations.
The IDF believes that they managed to eliminate several Hamas terrorists in the raid and also destroyed infrastructure belonging to the terrorist group.
As of now, IDF infantry, combat engineering forces, and tanks remain inside the Gaza Strip, indicating that the ground operation is ongoing.
The IDF has referred to this operation as an 'expanded ground activity' rather than a full ground offensive.
Additionally, the IDF fighter jets attacked about 150 underground targets in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday night.
"During the attack, terrorists of the terrorist organisation Hamas were eliminated and combat tunnels, underground combat spaces and other underground terrorist infrastructures were destroyed," the IDF said.
Israeli fighter jets also struck Asem Abu Rakaba, the Head of Hamas' aerial array. Abu Rakaba was responsible for Hamas' UAVs, drones, paragliders, aerial detection and defense.
The IDF said it has also killed Rateb Abu Sahiban, the commander of Hamas' naval forces within the Gaza City Brigade in the targeted overnight airstrike.
The IDF said Rakaba took part in planning the October 7 massacre and commanded the terrorists who infiltrated Israel on paragliders and was responsible for the drone attacks on IDF posts.
While the operation to eliminate Sahiban came in response to his involvement in planning and leading a Hamas infiltration attempt via the sea on October 24, which was thwarted by Israeli Navy forces.
Palestinian reports from Gaza have become scarce due to disruptions in internet and phone services caused by Israeli bombardment.
The extent of the IDF's operation in Gaza remains a subject of uncertainty as the situation unfolds.
In the city of Ashkelon, near the Gaza border, heavy bombardment, sustained artillery fire, and the sounds of fighter jets were heard during what seemed to be the most intense night of fighting in the ongoing war with Hamas.
The IDF announced on Friday that it was 'expanding ground operations' in the Gaza Strip and 'operating forcefully', although specific details about the number of troops involved were not provided.
Hamas terrorists continued firing rockets into Israel overnight, with alarms indicating incoming rockets in towns north of Gaza.
The situation on Saturday morning saw a reduction in the sounds of war, with only sporadic explosions heard in the distance.
