The Israel Defense Forces ordered its troops in the Gaza Strip to increase field vigilance in anticipation of retaliation for a series of targeted assassinations, The Jerusalem Post reports Wednesday evening.
The IDF tonight ordered its forces operating in the Gaza Strip to raise their level of vigilance, anticipating retaliation for a recent series of targeted assassinations. The directive, confirmed by senior IDF Southern Command officials to i24NEWS, comes after a wave of Israeli strikes that eliminated Palestinian Islamic Jihad commanders and other terror operatives. The order was first reported by The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday evening.
The Zioneer has tracked this developing story throughout the evening. At 20:02 Jerusalem, initial reports cited Israeli security sources warning that Hamas might attempt retaliation, including through a kidnapping scenario (The Zioneer, 20:02). Minutes later, senior Southern Command officials explicitly confirmed to i24NEWS that the military was preparing for such a response (The Zioneer, 20:02). The Zioneer then reported that the IDF had formally instructed its Gaza-based forces to heighten battlefield vigilance (The Zioneer, 20:02). Concurrently, Israeli security assessments warned that the response could involve rocket and missile fire on home front communities and attacks on IDF troops (The Zioneer, 20:02). The source reliability progressed from anonymous security sources to on-record senior military officials.
The current alert follows weeks of Israeli counter-terror operations in Gaza. As The Zioneer reported on June 30, the IDF expanded its operational control inside the Strip as part of ground operations against Hamas. On August 4, the political echelon tightened the approval process for targeted strikes in Gaza, mandating personal authorization by the Chief of Staff. The IDF has also previously raised alert levels along the Gaza border in response to suspected militant activity, as reported on August 11.
It remains unclear whether Hamas or other terror factions will follow through with retaliation, and what form any action might take. No immediate attacks have been reported. The situation remains under assessment.
5 developments
- ConfirmedIDF raised alert Tuesday after intelligence on possible Hamas retaliation for Shin Bet chief kidnapping
- StrongIDF conducting targeted eliminations under Chief of Staff's personal approval, security sources say
- StrongIsraeli military source: Hamas boosting offensive readiness in Gaza; Nukhba forces bombed
- DevelopingIDF assesses Hamas rebuilding military capabilities, preparing to resume fighting
Source and signal
- Open-source intake