Israel (VINnews)-The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have significantly strengthened their presence along the Gaza border as they brace for potential attacks from Hamas operatives, marking the one-year anniversary of the October 7 massacre. Military sources indicate that while Hamas has largely been dismantled as a military force, it retains the ability to launch rocket attacks, which could include long-range strikes on central Israel.
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In anticipation of potential rocket fire or other forms of aggression from the Gaza Strip, the IDF has deployed additional forces and bolstered defenses, particularly along the border and in the Netzarim Corridor, a central area of the Strip where Israeli forces maintain a semi-permanent presence.
“The Southern Command is prepared in defense and attack for several scenarios during the coming month, along with allowing memorial events in the [Gaza border communities] to be carried out safely,” the IDF said in a statement. The military is working closely with police and emergency services to ensure that towns along the border are protected, with several companies being deployed to reinforce these areas.
Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, chief of the Southern Command, emphasized the heightened state of alert. “We are on heightened alert for the coming days. At a high level of readiness… with offensive actions,” he said in a video distributed by the IDF.
In parallel, the IDF has launched a new offensive operation in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya region, aimed at thwarting efforts by Hamas operatives to regroup. The operation involves the 401st and 460th armored brigades of the 162nd Division, which launched a surprise attack overnight, encircling the area from two directions. Airstrikes and tank shelling killed several dozen terror operatives, according to the IDF.
The operation also follows the reassignment of the Rafah area, previously under the 162nd Division, to the Gaza Division, marking the first time the regional division has been given control over a significant portion of the Strip. Despite the military buildup, there has been no reduction in forces along the Egypt-Gaza border.
Israel estimates that tens of thousands of Palestinians remain in northern Gaza, including several thousand surviving terror operatives from earlier IDF operations. With the threat of renewed Hamas attacks looming, the IDF is preparing for a range of possible scenarios as the anniversary approaches.
While terror attack in BEER SHEVA this morning kills one Israeli .