Fighting continues with particular ferocity in the Gaza Strip, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) focusing their attacks on the Hamas stronghold of Khan Yunis.
The IDF is advancing on Hamas' "main stronghold" in Khan Yunis
According to Israeli media , the IDF claims that its 98th Division continues to advance on Khan Younis in southern Gaza, which it says is a "main Hamas stronghold", killing dozens of its cadres and destroying its tunnels.
Meanwhile, the 7th Armored Brigade has launched an offensive to break Hamas' defense lines in southern Gaza, hitting dozens of anti-tank missile launch sites and observation posts.
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Χαμός στα συμβολαιογραφεία! Οι Έλληνες βγάζουν τα μετρητά από θυρίδες, στρώματα, μαξιλάρια για να αγοράσουν ακίνητα
Its forces invaded a main outpost belonging to the Hamas Deir al-Balah battalion, seizing weapons and intelligence material.
Troops from the Givati Infantry Brigade, the 55th Parachute Reserve Brigade and the Kiryati Reserve Armoured Brigade have surrounded Khan Younis and are conducting "targeted raids" against Hamas sites.
In one of these raids, the troops found Hamas weapons in a school, including rocket launchers, mortar launchers, explosive devices and other equipment.
Kiryati Brigade troops also captured a Hamas command center inside a mosque where several terrorists were trapped, according to the IDF.
Finally, the Commando Brigade has carried out raids on what it calls Hamas' "centers of gravity" targets in Khan Younis, including the homes of its cadres. Inside the homes, the troops found weapons and intelligence material.
Amid the fighting, some Hamas fighters have surrendered to the troops.
Israel calls for more campaign hospitals in Gaza
Yotam Shefer, head of COGAT's foreign relations department, said Jerusalem continues to encourage countries and humanitarian organizations to establish field hospitals and floating hospitals in and around Gaza to treat the thousands of Palestinians wounded in the war
Schaeffer says two campaign hospitals are currently operating in Gaza, one run by the Jordanian government and another by the Emirati government.
Staff from the US-based International Medical Corps are on their way to Gaza to set up a third field hospital, and COGAT is also in talks with the Red Cross and several other organizations to follow suit, Shefer says.
Two hospital ships have docked in the last two weeks off the coast of El Arish, Egypt - one sent from France that arrived last week and one from Italy that arrived this week.
Huge damage to a historic mosque in Gaza
Finally new footage shows the huge extent of damage to the historic al-Omari mosque in Gaza City.
Palestinian media reports that the mosque has been repeatedly hit by Israeli fire.
The IDF has not commented on such claims.
The importance of Khan Yunis
The battle of Khan Younis will, in our estimation, mean the annihilation of the main Hamas forces, which will then be unable to mount an effective resistance and will be reduced to a guerrilla war of its small remaining isolated pockets in the Gaza Strip.
