Israeli military says operations in north Gaza's Jabalia are over

Israeli forces have ended operations in north Gaza's Jabalia area after days of intense fighting and over 200 air strikes, while probing further into Rafah in south Gaza, targeting what they say is the last major redoubt of Hamas battalions.

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Israeli troops found caches of rocket launchers and other weapons, as well as Hamas tunnel shafts in the centre of Rafah, the military said on May 31, pressing an offensive to break up militant combat units it says are hunkered down in the city on the border with Egypt.

In an update on more than two weeks of fierce fighting in Jabalia, the Israeli military said troops had completed their operation and withdrawn to prepare for other operations in Gaza.

During the operation, troops recovered the bodies of seven of the 250 hostages Hamas-led militants abducted when they stormed over the border into Israel on Oct 7, 2023 and killed around 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.