The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out targeted strikes on more than 100 pickup trucks it assessed had been used for terrorist purposes in Gaza. The strikes, announced on March 24, are part of the new campaign Israel launched in Gaza on March 18. The IDF has also focused precision strikes on Hamas personnel, including the group’s political leadership. In addition, IDF ground units have expanded operations in the territory.
The IDF began its new operation on March 18 with a series of airstrikes. The Israeli military then started to re-enter parts of Gaza it had withdrawn from during the ceasefire in January and February. On March 23, the IDF said it “began operating in the area of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. The purpose of the operation is to target Hamas’ terror infrastructure sites in order to expand the security zone in northern Gaza.” Beit Hanoun was a target of IDF operations in December 2024. The IDF has also moved forces into northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya area, including elements of the 188th Armored Brigade.
In southern Gaza, the IDF said it encircled the area of Tel al Sultan near Rafah on March 23. The IDF’s Gaza Division was in charge of this operation, sending the 14th Brigade to encircle the area. Israeli forces have held the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egyptian border in southern Gaza since May 2024. For several days, Israeli troops operated in Tel al Sultan, uncovering munitions in a former school and a 25-barrel rocket launcher in the area, the IDF announced on March 27.
In other areas of Gaza, particularly the Netzarim Corridor, the IDF has also returned to previously controlled territory. The 252nd Division, which previously operated in Netzarim before Israeli troops left in January 2025, returned. The IDF said its 143rd Division was also operating in Gaza but didn’t specify where. In addition, the Israeli military deployed the 36th Division to the border with Gaza and some of its units inside the territory. Overall, elements from at least four divisions are now involved in Israel’s operation.
Israel has carried out precision airstrikes on several key terrorists. One was Salah Bardawil, who the IDF said was the “head of Hamas’ planning and development office in the southern Gaza Strip.” The IDF announced his death on March 23, along with the elimination of the deputy commander of Hamas’s Gaza Brigade and the commander of the group’s Shejaiya Battalion. Hamas once had 24 battalions in Gaza, organized into several brigades. Most of their commanders have been eliminated during the war. Some have been replaced.
Several other Hamas figures were killed between March 24 and 27. One unnamed terrorist was killed in a strike on a room in Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza. Ismail Barhoum, who the IDF said was the head of Hamas’s finances and institutions, was also killed in Khan Younis. “Barhoum was a key figure in Hamas’ political bureau and was actively involved in the military decision-making process that directly impacted Hamas’ operations,” the IDF said. On March 27, the IDF also said it killed Latif Rajab Jumaa Qanou, a spokesperson of the terrorist organization.
Hamas has launched several rockets at Israeli communities from Gaza. The IDF said that over a week, five rockets were launched by March 26. In many cases, the IDF called for the evacuation of areas in Gaza where rockets originated. Currently, Hamas does not appear to possess many rockets or launch capabilities. On March 23, five days into the IDF operation, Israel relaxed regulations in Israeli communities near Gaza, enabling people to return to full, normal activities.
