Two IDF divisions are ‘probing’ Hamas defenses in Gaza City, some 200 terrorists killed so far

Two Israeli divisions continued a slow but steady advance on Gaza City from different directions on the third day of Operation Gideon’s Chariots II, which aims to capture the entirety of the Hamas stronghold.

Army Radio cited senior military officials who described the current fighting as a “probing stage,” where Israeli troops are advancing slowly while Hamas terrorists continue to entrench themselves in the city center, largely avoiding direct clashes so far.

The Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday that the troops are “targeting and destroying terrorist infrastructure in the Strip and eliminating numerous militants.”

הרחבת הלחימה במסגרת מבצע 'מרכבות גדעון ב': צה"ל ושב"כ תקפו בהכוונת כוחות אוגדה 98 מחסן אמצעי לחימה ובו מטענים שיועדו לשימוש נגד כוחות צה"ל

כוחות צה"ל בפיקוד הדרום, בהכוונת אמ"ן ושב"כ, ממשיכים בלחימה נגד ארגוני הטרור ברחבי רצועת עזה.

אוגדות 162 ו-98 מרחיבים את פעילותן בעיר עזה… pic.twitter.com/o20Ze8Ixde
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) September 18, 2025

“An Israeli Air Force aircraft, guided by Division 98 forces and the Shin Bet, struck a Hamas weapons depot in the Gaza City area. The depot contained explosive devices intended for use against IDF forces,” the military said, also noting that “measures were taken to minimize the risk of civilian harm.”

Israeli media reports were contradictory as to whether the terrorists intend to have a last stand in the city and fight to the death, or whether they are already fleeing.

The report by Army Radio cited assessments that two-thirds of the operatives in Hamas’ Gaza City brigade have fled south, hidden among the civilian population.

The IDF issues new footage of its airstrikes in Gaza City from the past two days, amid a new ground offensive against Hamas in the area.

On Monday, the military says it struck a Hamas weapons manufacturing workshop, where several operatives involved in building explosive devices… pic.twitter.com/MKl6vauZc1
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 17, 2025

According to i24 News, citing a security source, some 8,000 militants were active in the brigade at the start of the operation, including a hard core of 2,000 fighters and the rest being reinforcements from across the enclave and new recruits.

IDF Military Intelligence estimates that some 5,000 Hamas militants and an additional 2,500 militants from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad are currently in the city.

A Palestinian Source told i24 News that “they are fighting the final battle for the last stronghold of the Muslim Brotherhood.”

Over the past three days of fighting, Israeli forces have killed around 200 militants – most through airstrikes based on intelligence, rather than ground clashes – with a current focus on targeting commanders rather than ordinary fighters.

“Hamas militants rarely move around above ground with weapons; most remain entrenched, many underground, waiting for IDF forces to reach them,” Army Radio reported.

The slow pace of the IDF’s advance is also caused by the relatively slow pace of civilian evacuation, which only increased in recent days, following the start of the operation. This reportedly even caused the delay of the entry of a third IDF division.

On Wednesday, the military announced the opening of a second evacuation route toward the south to speed up the evacuation. The Rashid corridor which served this purpose until now, had become severely congested.

The new corridor will run along Salah al-Din Street for 48 hours without military checkpoints. It is estimated that around half of the city’s residents still have not left the area.