The Israeli military has struck more than 1,800 targets in Gaza since renewing operations against Hamas on March 18, according to data released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on April 26. The IDF continues to carry out precision strikes on terrorists in the territory as the overall tempo of operations remains relatively low intensity. The Israeli military has continued consolidating control of areas in southern Gaza while maintaining a security zone near the border in the rest of the territory.
On April 24, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir traveled to Gaza to meet with Israeli officers. He said that Israel could expand its operations in the territory if there is no hostage deal. “We are continuing with the operational pressure and tightening the ring around Hamas as needed, and if we see no progress in the return of the hostages, we will expand our activities to an intense and even more significant move until we reach the defeat [of Hamas],” Zamir said. He added, “Hamas is mistaken when it comes to our abilities, intentions and determination, just like [deceased Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan] Nasrallah and his top command.”
IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin highlighted the current campaign’s objective on April 21. “We are here in the Morag Corridor, the corridor located between the Khan Yunis and Rafah, as you saw earlier. I want to clarify the goal of the operation: to increase pressure on Hamas in order to bring the hostages home and to dismantle both the Hamas government and the Hamas military wing,” Defrin said.
The IDF’s claim that it has struck more than 1,800 targets comes 10 days after it said it had hit 1,200 targets, indicating the Israeli military has conducted around 60 strikes per day in the interim.
Three Israeli divisions continue to operate in Gaza. The 252nd Division, which has been operating south of Gaza City in the Netzarim Corridor, is also fighting within Gaza City. The 36th Division is responsible for fighting in Rafah and the new Morag Corridor in southern Gaza. The Israeli military also announced on April 26 that the Gaza Division is fighting in the Shabura and Tel Sultan neighborhoods in Rafah. “Thus far, the troops have destroyed dozens of tunnel shafts, weapons stockpiles, terrorist infrastructure, deepened control in the area, and eliminated several terrorists,” the IDF stated.
In fighting in northern Gaza, a tank driver from the IDF’s 14th Armored Brigade was killed by sniper fire, according to reports on April 24. In addition, Israeli forces in Beit Hanoun were targeted by anti-tank fire. The IDF also said that terrorists had targeted the 401st Armored Brigade in Daraj Tuffah near Gaza City on April 25. In another incident on April 25, four Israeli soldiers from the 205th Armored Reserve Brigade were wounded, one seriously, by an explosive device in the Philadelphi Corridor area of southern Gaza. An IDF soldier was killed in the Shejaiya neighborhood in northern Gaza the same day.
The increasing Israeli casualties in Gaza illustrate that the IDF is increasingly coming into contact with militants. Over the first month of renewed combat in the territory, there were few firefights with terrorists, who mostly appeared to retreat in the face of the Israeli military advance. The increased incidents come as the IDF slowly expands operations into areas such as Shejaiya, Beit Hanoun, and Daraj Tuffah in northern Gaza while also attempting to clear areas of southern Gaza.
The IDF continues to search for new targets in the territory. On April 22, the Israeli Air Force struck engineering equipment, including construction-type vehicles, it said was used during the October 7 massacre. The operation was a follow-up to March 24 strikes on pick-up trucks used by Hamas. The Israeli military also struck a site used as a command-and-control center by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Jabaliya in northern Gaza. The IDF previously cleared Jabaliya of hundreds of terrorists between October and December 2024 in one of several sweeps of the neighborhood. It appears that terrorists returned to the area. The IDF also targeted terrorists who participated in the October 7 attack with other precision strikes between April 21 and April 30.
The Israeli military continues to improve its capabilities while fighting in Gaza. Several new defense systems have been deployed during the war, including unmanned vehicles and precision mortars. The “Bar” rocket is the latest system the IDF said it has employed for the first time. The 282nd Artillery Brigade, part of the 36th Division, utilized the weapon. “The system features a navigation mechanism adapted to challenging combat environments,” the IDF said on April 28.
