IDF and Shin Bet Disclose Destruction of Two Hamas Weapons Depots in Gaza

The IDF and Shin Bet said on Friday, October 30, that Israeli forces had destroyed two weapons storage facilities used by Hamas's military wing in the Gaza Strip the previous night. Their joint announcement located the facilities in the al-Bureij area and the Gaza City area. The disclosure concerned Thursday night's strikes, rather than a new operation on Friday. According to the statement, the facilities held dozens of weapons of different kinds. The inventory included RPGs, explosive devices, rockets, Kalashnikov rifles, grenades, magazines and other combat equipment. The two agencies said the operation was intended to degrade the capabilities of terrorist organizations in Gaza and prevent them from rebuilding or accumulating weapons for use against IDF troops. The military said warnings had been issued to the population before the strikes. It also said precision munitions and aerial surveillance were used to reduce the risk of harm to civilians. Those precautions were described in the English-language joint announcement alongside its account of the weapons sites. The announcement said Southern Command forces remained deployed in accordance with the agreement. Describing their continuing mission, the joint statement said the forces would act to "remove any immediate threat."