'Elite' Hamas Unit Behind Saturday Massacre Targeted in Israel Air Strikes

Israeli air strikes targeted "elite" Hamas forces involved in Saturday's coordinated attack on Israel that have sparked days of violence, the Israeli military has said.

The Israeli air force conducted "a wave of strikes targeting the Nukhba elite forces" making up part of Hamas' ranks, the Israeli military said in a statement on Thursday.

The air strikes zoned in on command bases "used by operatives who infiltrated the communities surrounding the Gaza Strip last Saturday," the air force added. The Nukhba fighters were "one of the leading forces" that infiltrated Israel in the weekend attack, the military said.

Saturday marked the beginning of a large-scale land, air and sea attack on Israel by Hamas fighters, with many quickly moving through Israeli villages close to the Gaza Strip, west of southern Israel. Hamas militants crossed the border into Israel, and took many Israeli hostages back into the Gaza Strip.

The attacks marked the most serious spike in hostilities in the region for years, in what the Palestinian group termed "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood."

Israel then carried out waves of air strikes under its "Operation Swords of Iron," targeting the Hamas-held Gaza Strip and declaring it was at "war" with Hamas.

The Israeli military said on Thursday that the Nukhba fighters were selected by "senior Hamas operatives" and tasks with carrying out ambushes, raids, moving through tunnels to infiltrate areas in Israel.

The Nukbka fighters would also be involved in strikes using anti-tank missiles, rockets and sniper rifles, Israel said.

Fighting has continued for six consecutive days, and Israel's military said earlier on Thursday that it had launched an "extensive attack" on Hamas targets across Gaza.

Hamas has constructed a network of underground tunnels stretching from Gaza City to other areas of the Gaza Strip in the years since the Palestinian group took control of Gaza in 2007, IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said on Thursday morning local time.

These tunnels, now a priority for Israeli air strikes, are used by Hamas to launch strikes, as well as planning and executing operations against Israel, Conricus said. The IDF is prioritizing Hamas infrastructure and locations where it believes senior Hamas commanders are based, he said.

Representatives for Hamas said on Thursday that the group had launched new rocket barrages in southern Israel after Israeli strikes on Gaza. Hamas also fired on Tel Aviv and the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, Hamas said.

Approximately 1,200 Israelis have been killed, according to Israel's military, as reported by Reuters. Palestinian health authorities in Gaza said on Thursday that 1,203 people had been killed in Gaza since Saturday. A further 5,763 have been injured, the Gazan health ministry said in a statement.

The Israeli military has also indicated that it is getting ready for a ground offensive in Gaza, but that the decision had not yet been made to send Israeli troops into Gaza. Israel has amassed more than 300,000 reserve fighters close to the border with Gaza, the IDF has said.

The IDF is "preparing for a ground maneuver if decided," spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht said on Thursday.

"In the event of a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, let the enemy know that we will not be alone in the battle," said Hamas spokesperson Ali Baraka.

Update 10/12/23, 3:45 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.