An Israeli official described Israel’s extensive attack in Gaza as “preemptive strikes”, to a CNN broadcaster, but they declined to provide any details about what they claimed was Hamas’s “readiness to execute terror attacks, build up force and re-arm”.
“We cannot elaborate further, so as not to hand out information to the enemy,” the Israeli official told CNN.
The official said the strikes targeted the Palestinian group’s “mid-ranking military commanders, leadership officials and terrorist infrastructure”.
The strikes will continue “as long as necessary and will expand beyond airstrikes”, the Israeli official said.
The operation is currently being overseen in Israel’s military headquarters in Tel Aviv by the chief of staff of Israel’s forces, alongside the head of the Shin Bet, the country’s internal security service.