Israeli soldiers work to secure residential areas following a mass-infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Sderot, southern Israel, Oct. 7, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad

i24 News — Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) backed by fighter jets and drones carried out a second ground raid into Gaza and struck targets on the outskirts of Gaza City. This is the second ground raid in Gaza the IDF has conducted ahead of the anticipated ground offensive against Hamas.

The IDF reported killing Madhath Mubashar, the commander of Hamas’ West Khan Yunis battalion. Israeli security services also claimed hitting 250 Hamas targets, including command centers, tunnels, and launch sites.

Israel’s expected full-scale ground offensive into Gaza, designed to decimate the terrorist group Hamas in control of the neighboring Palestinian enclave, presents high risks to the civilian population and Hamas’ 229 Israeli hostages. The US has also reportedly asked Israel to delay the offensive amid a series of attacks on its Middle Eastern bases by Iran-backed militias.

Following a directive from US President Joe Biden, US warplanes on Friday struck targets in eastern Syria that the Pentagon said were linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin called the strikes “precision self-defense.”