Day 46: IDF prepares next stages of ground operation as hostage exchange deal is imminent

While the Israeli government is expected to approve an agreement for a hostage exchange with Hamas terrorists on Tuesday evening, the ground operations inside the Gaza Strip didn’t stop on Day 46 of Operation Iron Swords.

The Israeli Air Force attacked about 250 Hamas targets over the last 24 hours, including armed terrorists, missile launchers and various buildings used for terrorist activities.

In addition, an IDF helicopter overnight destroyed the rocket launcher responsible for the barrage that activated alarm sirens throughout Tel Aviv and the greater Dan and Shfela areas on Monday evening, which was located in a residential area.

On Tuesday morning, the IDF announced that soldiers of the 162nd Division, which includes the regular Nahal and Givati Infantry Brigades, completed the encirclement of the town of Jabalya, which is reportedly one of the next targets of the ground operations.

To prepare the area for the ground forces, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) and soldiers of the 215th Pillar of Fire Artillery Brigade destroyed several targets in the area, including three underground shafts and the terrorists manning them on the outskirts of the town.

Forces from the 162nd Division then battled terrorists in the same area, locating and destroying rocket launchers, while soldiers of the 551st Brigade and special forces operated north of Jabalya to open up a route for the division.

During the operations, Israeli soldiers eliminated many terrorists with assistance from the IAF, seized weapons in several locations, including residences and children’s rooms, and destroyed multiple tunnel shafts.

In addition, fighters of the Harel Brigade located a weapons cache in the house of a Nukhba Force terrorist, while a unit of the 14th Armored Brigade located an anti-tank missile hidden under a baby's bed.

The IDF published information about recent operations of the commando unit Maglan, which specializes in operating advanced precision and guided weapons, including the first combat use of the ‘Iron Sting’ guided mortar.

The reconnaissance unit located and destroyed more than 70 targets, including observation posts and other terrorist infrastructure – most of which were in civilian areas – and anti-tank missile squads.

In the area of the Al-Shati refugee camp, Maglan soldiers confiscated weapons during the raid of a terrorist’s home and found two underground shafts under a nearby school.

The IDF also announced the deaths of two IDF soldiers. They were identified as Cpt. (res.) Arnon Moshe Avraham Benvenisti Vaspi, 26, from Yesod Hama’ala, an officer in the Givati Brigade’s Reconnaissance Battalion; and Staff Sgt. Ilya Senkin, 20, from Nof HaGalil, a soldier in the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion.