On the morning of October 7, the Hamas terrorist organization launched a massive missile attack on Israel and infiltrated the country. Since then, the active phase of the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation has continued.

The Israeli Defense Forces during the week carried out massive air strikes on the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the destruction of dozens of Hamas facilities. In addition, the IDF is preparing to launch a ground operation. OBOZ.UA collected key facts about the confrontation between Israel and Palestine.

According to the Israeli media, on the night of October 16, the IDF conducted the most massive air strikes on the Gaza Strip since the beginning of hostilities. The most intense bombing was in Gaza City.

The IDF said it had destroyed dozens of Hamas facilities in the Gaza Strip. According to preliminary data, Israel struck at least 50 targets overnight, destroying observation posts, command centers, and rocket launchers.

At the same time, it became known that Hamas militants themselves fired at Palestinian residents. According to IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus, the attack on a convoy of civilians fleeing to the southern part of the Gaza Strip was a false flag operation conducted by Hamas.

"If you apply the logic and think about who would benefit from these horrific images of children and civilians evacuating to the south and then obviously being killed, who would benefit from that, only one organization, Hamas," Conricus said.

At least 70 people, most of them children, were killed in the strike. Another 200 people were injured. Israel accused Hamas of trying to keep Gazans from moving south to use them as human shields.

It is noteworthy that Israel has received a portion of criticism for the blockade of the Gaza Strip. The army was urged to ensure the evacuation of civilians before the ground operation. In particular, US President Joe Biden said that his administration is negotiating with Egypt to create a humanitarian corridor to get children and women out of Gaza.

It also became known that Biden is considering a trip to Israel in the coming days. Israel noted that the visit of the American leader would be a powerful symbol of sympathy and support after the brutal Hamas attack.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited Biden to visit as a sign of solidarity. It is emphasized that if the visit takes place, it will be a chance to personally confirm to the Israeli people that the United States firmly supports them. However, some analysts believe that Biden's trip to Israel could be seen as a provocative step for Hamas' main sponsor, Iran.

As a reminder, Israel is going to send 10,000 soldiers to capture Gaza, seeking to conduct the largest offensive since the Second Lebanon War. The IDF aims not just to clear the Strip of terrorists, but especially to eliminate their leader, Yahya Sinwar.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the approach of a "new stage" in the war with Hamas. The IDF noted that the preparations are complete, while acknowledging that a number of events could affect the ground invasion of the Gaza Strip: the evacuation of Palestinians and tensions on the country's northern border.

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