In preparation for the expected ground incursion, the IDF has destroyed targets in Gaza which could present a threat to ground forces near the border.
Among the targets hit under instruction of the Shin Bet and IDF intelligence are dozens of mortar launchers and antitank positions within Gaza.
Other targets include tunnels in which the Hamas terror organization operates, dozens of operational command posts, some of which harbored Islamic Jihad or Hamas terrorists, military compounds which were used by the terror group, and observation posts.
On Sunday, IDF soldier Corporal Tamir Barak, 19, from Kibbutz Nir Eliyahu located northeast of Kfar Saba, was killed on Sunday during operational activity in Gaza.
Three additional soldiers were wounded in the incident, which occurred when an anti-tank missile was fired at a tank and an engineering vehicle during a raid earlier in Gaza in the Kissufim area.
IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari announced that the activity was part of the effort to dismantle terror infrastructure, clear the area of terrorists and weapons, and locate missing persons and bodies. He added, "We are expanding the rate of strikes in the Gaza Strip and their scope. We are working this way to prepare the ground for a maneuver to reduce the threats to the soldiers who will enter the Gaza Strip. Therefore, we are striking hard from the sky, and we will continue that way until we begin the maneuver - the moment the diplomatic rank decides to do so."