
An Israeli soldier stands in a Merkava battle tank as it deploys with other tanks along the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on October 13, 2023, as battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement continue for the seventh consecutive day. AFP
"Over the past 24 hours, IDF (Israeli military) forces carried out localised raids inside the territory of the Gaza Strip to complete the effort to cleanse the area of terrorists and weaponry," an army statement said.
"During these operations, there was also an effort to locate missing persons."
The raids came amid incessant Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip, with Palestinian militants firing back with rockets.
War erupted between the two sides on Saturday, when Hamas militants attacked Israel and killed more than 1,300 people.
The militants also abducted an estimated 150 Israelis and foreigners.
Retaliatory strikes on Gaza have killed around 1,800 people and caused mass displacement.
Israel on Friday warned the 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza to flee, ahead of an anticipated ground offensive, a move condemned by the United Nations.
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