The General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces approved a plan for the continuation of combat operations in the Gaza Strip. It was adopted at a joint meeting with the participation of the Chief of General Staff, the head of the Southern Command and other senior Israeli officers.
Details of the plan were not given, but it is reported that the preparation involved an assessment of the situation in the region. According to the IDF, 600 Israeli military personnel have been killed in the months since the conflict with Hamas began to escalate. The casualties on the Palestinian side, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, exceeded 34,000.
