Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Saturday night that military operations in the Gaza Strip are intensifying, marking what he described as the "decisive phase" in the conflict with Hamas. He reported that over 750,000 Palestinians have evacuated from Gaza City to the south, despite threats from Hamas. Katz stated, "Terrorist towers in the city have been demolished and terrorist infrastructure has been destroyed," and noted that autonomous vehicles are being deployed to neutralize explosive devices ahead of ground forces.

Katz praised the bravery of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers, saying they are successfully thwarting terrorist activities and gaining control over more neighborhoods in Gaza. He warned that if Hamas does not release all hostages and disarm, "Gaza will be destroyed and Hamas will be annihilated. We will not stop until all the war goals are achieved."

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir conducted an inspection of the southern Gaza Strip on Friday. He emphasized the military's commitment to returning hostages quickly and defeating Hamas. Zamir stated, "We are conducting a central operational effort in the northern Strip and Gaza City. We have severely damaged Hamas’s capabilities, we have collapsed its governing capacity, and now the enemy is operating in guerrilla-like patterns."

The IDF announced on Sunday morning that it continues to expand both ground and aerial operations in the Gaza City area. In a statement, the military reported that IDF troops dismantled military structures and combat compounds in coordination with the Israeli Air Force, targeting military infrastructure and eliminating several terrorists in the process.

During a counter-terror operation in the central Strip, IDF soldiers encountered five terrorists firing an anti-tank missile at their position. Fortunately, no Israeli personnel were injured, and an Israeli Air Force aircraft quickly eliminated the threat. In the southern Strip, ground troops engaged terrorists while dismantling observation equipment and military infrastructure.

In the past 24 hours, the Air Force has struck approximately 140 terror targets across the Gaza Strip, including military structures and personnel. On Saturday, the IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) reported the death of Muhammad Ahmad Yusuf Al-Jamal, a Hamas operative responsible for the death of Israel Police Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora during a hostage rescue mission in June 2024. Zamora was killed on June 8, 2024, when Israeli forces rescued four hostages from the central Gaza Strip in an operation later named "Operation Arnon" in his honor.

The IDF stated, "Muhammad Al-Jamal was the terrorist who killed Arnon Zamora as the force breached one of the buildings where the hostages were being held," adding that he also served as a guard. The airstrike that targeted Al-Jamal also resulted in the death of Sari Idris Muhammad Al-Aqrab, another Hamas operative who had infiltrated Israel on October 7 and was associated with Al-Jamal.