Operation Gideon's Chariots B in Gaza City continued into its third day, with IDF forces continuing to operate slowly and cautiously on the ground. The two divisions operating — the 162nd and the 98th — are advancing gradually, in stages the IDF describes as, "the probing phase."
Galei Tzahal reports that army sources saying the IDF is learning the terrain and the enemy's movements, while Hamas forces remaining in Gaza are fortifying themselves in the city center and avoiding direct contact with Israeli forces.
It was also reported that the scope of the ground maneuvering is affected by the pace of civilian evacuations: the 36th Division, which was planned to begin operating with the first two divisions, was delayed by several days due to slow civilian evacuation. However, the pace of evacuation has accelerated in recent days, and the IDF assesses that the 36th Division will join the fighting soon.
At the same time, the IDF estimates that about two-thirds of Hamas's Gaza City Brigade have already left the city and fled south to the humanitarian areas.
According to IDF figures, since the start of the operation nearly 200 terrorists have been killed, at a rate of about 15-20 per day. Most of the strikes are carried out based on precise intelligence, with the terrorists themselves often remaining in underground areas and not moving openly on the surface.