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Israel mounts 2nd ground incursion into Gaza, says Hamas leaders killed in airstrikes

People transport a victim recovered from under the rubble of a collapsed house following an Israeli airstrike on Rafah in southern Gaza Strip on Thursday. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI
1 of 3 | People transport a victim recovered from under the rubble of a collapsed house following an Israeli airstrike on Rafah in southern Gaza Strip on Thursday. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo

Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Israel carried out air raids and a second consecutive overnight ground incursion into Gaza on Friday, striking dozens of targets, including military command centers, the Israel Defense Force said.

The operations follow a day of airstrikes on Thursday that Israeli forces say killed Hamas' deputy chief of intelligence, Shadi Barud, who planned the Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel that killed 1,400, prompting Israel to retaliate with bombardments of the Gaza Strip.

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Three other members of Hamas' military leadership were also killed in intelligence-led targeted strikes by IDF fighter jets, the IDF and Israel Security Authority said Thursday.

Rifaat Abbas, Ibrahim Jadba and Tarek Maarouf -- the three most senior commanders of Hamas' key Daraj Tuffah Battalion -- had been targeted for "significant roles" in the Oct. 7 assault and because they had taken part in previous attacks against Israel, the defense agencies said.

The infantry raid Thursday night and early Friday on central Gaza, supported by IDF fighter jets and UAVs, "identified and struck numerous terror targets, including anti-tank missile launch sites and military command and control centers." Aircraft and artillery hit Hamas assets in Shuja'iyya district in the north and throughout the strip, the IDF said.

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"The troops exited the area at the end of the activity. No IDF injuries were reported."

The IDF attacks come on the heels of Israeli forces launching a ground incursion into the Palestinian territory overnight Wednesday in which it conducted a "limited" operation under cover of darkness using tanks and infantry to strike "numerous terrorist cells," infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch sites.

IDF said afterward that the incursion was aimed at softening enemy resistance and preparing the battlefield ahead of a main ground invasion. No troops or military personnel were hurt in the operation.

Families in Gaza take refuge inside school

Palestinian families, including children, flee Israeli attacks and take refuge inside a school affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip on October 26, 2023. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo

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