The Israeli military said it had begun operations in northern Gaza near the eastern Rafah checkpoint, as well as in central Gaza. The military operation in Rafah comes ahead of a planned full-scale invasion. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that since October 7, the number of victims in Gaza has exceeded 35,000.
Israel's Defense Forces said troops launched an operation in northern Gaza "based on intelligence regarding Hamas' attempts to reorganize its terrorist infrastructure and operational forces in the area."
