TEL AVIV, February 29. /TASS/. Troops of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wiped out several terrorist cells during fighting in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military reported.

"IDF troops are continuing to operate in Zaytun (south of Gaza City - TASS). Over the past day, the troops killed terrorists, destroyed tunnel shafts, and located numerous weapons. Two terrorist cells that fired at IDF troops were identified and an aircraft was directed to eliminate the cells," the IDF said. "In addition, three terrorists that used drones were identified entering a compound in the area, where they were eliminated by an IAF aircraft directed by the troops," the military added.

Commenting on its activity in Khan Yunis, the IDF said that its troops had killed terrorists and dismantled terrorist infrastructure in that area. According to the IDF, the troops identified five terrorists in one incident. Coordination with the Israeli Air Force (IAF) enabled a precise strike that eliminated the terrorists. Also, four terrorists who attempted to plant an explosive device were eliminated in an air strike, the IDF added.

"In the central Gaza Strip, IDF troops killed several terrorists and located weapons over the past day. During one incident, the brigade's fire control center identified a terrorist cell approaching the ground troops and directed an aircraft to eliminate the cell. In a separate incident, a terrorist that approached the troops was eliminated using a drone," the report said.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, when militants from the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian movement Hamas staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from Gaza, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking over 240 hostages, including women, children and the elderly. Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. In response, Israel declared a total siege of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria, as well as a ground operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Clashes are also reported in the West Bank.