Middle East: Israel expands Gaza City operation

The Israeli military says it has widened operations in the northern Gaza Strip, claiming it eliminated a Hamas command center. Israel also killed the commander of a Palestinian militant group in Lebanon.

Israeli troops are expanding their ground operations near Gaza City, claiming to have eliminated terrorists and dismantled infrastructure belonging to the Hamas militant group.

A statement from Defense Minister Israel Katz mentioned the capture of extensive areas that are to become Israeli "security zones." 

The Israeli army is also expanding its operations in southern Gaza.

In other news, Hamas' military wing says one of its commanders and his family were killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon.

This blog is now closed. Here is a roundup of developments in Israel, Gaza, and the wider Middle East on Friday, April 4: