Israel Expands Ground Operations in Gaza, Encircling Jabaliya to Dismantle Hamas Network

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced a new ground operation on Sunday, encircling the city of Jabaliya in northern Gaza as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt Hamas' attempts to reestablish itself in the region. This latest action is part of the wider military campaign aimed at dismantling the group’s infrastructure.

According to the IDF, troops from the 162nd Division, specifically the 401st and 460th armored brigades, surrounded Jabaliya overnight, following detailed intelligence about Hamas operatives and the group’s infrastructure in the area. The military further indicated that the operation targets efforts by Hamas to regroup in northern Gaza.

The 162nd Division, which had previously been stationed in Rafah and along the Philadelphi Corridor—the border area between Egypt and Gaza—was recently withdrawn after five months of operations there, handing over responsibility to the IDF’s Gaza Division.

“The operation will continue as long as necessary,” says IDF

Reports emerged of loud explosions in the Jabaliya area overnight. The IDF later confirmed conducting a series of airstrikes and artillery shelling as ground forces moved into the region. The military reported that these strikes targeted numerous Hamas sites, including weapons depots, tunnels, cells of operatives, and other infrastructure connected to the group.

“The operation will continue as long as necessary, while systematically striking and thoroughly destroying the terror infrastructure in the area,” the IDF stated.

This marks the fourth significant military push into Jabaliya since the start of the conflict a year ago. Earlier confrontations, including a particularly intense round of fighting in May, have been described by IDF officials as the "most violent" battles of the war.

The latest operation follows a ground offensive launched by the IDF in Lebanon just days earlier, targeting the Hezbollah terror group in a parallel conflict on Israel’s northern border.

The IDF's current mission in Jabaliya is seen as a critical step in preventing Hamas from regrouping and rebuilding its military capabilities in the north of Gaza, continuing Israel’s broader campaign to neutralize terror threats in the region.