In preparation for receiving displaced residents in southern Gaza, the IDF is expanding Crossing 147 to increase the flow of aid into the designated humanitarian area.
By JNS
The Israel Defense Forces is continuing widescale strikes on Hamas terrorist infrastructure across the Gaza Strip, hitting around 500 targets as part of “Operation Gideon’s Chariots II” amid a ground offensive into Gaza City.
This week, the IDF carried out five waves of strikes in Gaza City, with the first three concentrated on the Daraj Tuffah and al-Furqan neighborhoods, and the last two expanding to al-Shati and deeper into al-Furqan.
As part of the strikes, the IDF said it destroyed observation and sniper posts, buildings containing tunnel shafts, weapons depots and other Hamas assets.
And on Saturday, the IDF struck a high-rise building that was used by the Hamas terrorist organization in the area of Gaza City, the army said.
“Within the building, Hamas established military infrastructure used to advance and execute terrorist attacks against IDF troops in the area,” the statement continued.
The military added that extensive measures were taken ahead of the strikes to minimize the risk to civilians.
“The IDF will continue to step up targeted strikes, guided by precise intelligence, to damage Hamas infrastructure, disrupt its operational readiness and reduce the threat to our forces as preparations advance for the next stages of the operation,” the military said.
In preparation for receiving displaced residents in southern Gaza, the IDF is expanding Crossing 147 to increase the flow of aid into the designated humanitarian area.
The project, carried out by the Southern Command and COGAT (the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories unit), includes paving new routes and enlarging the goods-handling zone.
Once completed, the crossing will be able to accommodate 150 trucks a day—triple its current capacity—with an emphasis on food shipments.
כחלק מהתוכנית להנעת האוכלוסייה דרומה מהעיר עזה לשם הגנתה, ובמסגרת המאמצים להתאמת המענה ההומניטרי בדרום רצועת עזה, צה"ל באמצעות פיקוד הדרום והיחידה לתיאום פעולות הממשלה בשטחים, החלו בעבודות להרחבת 'מעבר 147' לטובת הגדלת היקף הסיוע שנכנס למרחב ההומניטרי.
בהתאם לכך, בימים האחרונים… pic.twitter.com/7nGe9mATl3
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) September 12, 2025
According to IDF estimates, some 250,000 Palestinians have evacuated Gaza City over the past few weeks.
Meanwhile, the commander of Hamas’s Gaza City Brigade, Ezzedine al-Haddad, has ordered terrorists to remain in the city and prepare for “a fierce battle that could last for months,” the Saudi-owned, London-based, pan-Arab Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported on Tuesday.
According to an internal message to the brigade’s field commanders, al-Haddad said he would be “the first fighter” on the “frontlines” and that all available resources would be used to deliver “severe blows” to Israeli troops.
Hamas is reportedly coordinating with Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups to join the battle in Gaza City, while trying to prevent civilians from evacuating to humanitarian zones in accordance with Israeli orders.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Tuesday stressed that Israel is still seeking to end the war based on President Donald Trump’s latest truce proposal and according to the principles set by Israel’s Security Cabinet.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Aug. 14 outlined the Cabinet’s goals as the disarmament of Hamas, the return of all 48 remaining hostages, the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, Israeli security control and establishing an alternative civilian administration in the enclave.
