Israel continues striking Hamas targets in the Strip based on intelligence reports, and currently continues to press ahead with the fighting. The IDF is calling on the population of Gaza to evacuate toward the south. Thus far, 600,000 Gazans have been evacuated. Hamas is preventing Gazans from evacuating, and is hiding behind the local population, embedding itself in residential neighborhoods and jeopardizing the lives of the Gazan population. The IDF's main mission remains to dismantle Hamas, and is targeting its chief political and militant operatives. Yesterday, the IDF struck about 250 military targets, primarily in Northern Gaza. Overnight the Israeli Air Force struck dozens of targets overnight including Hamas operatives, operational compounds, military infrastructure, military observation posts, rocket launch sites and more. In one strike, leveraging ISA and IDF intelligence, the IDF neutralized Muetaz Eid, the Commander of the Hamas Southern District of National Security. IDF troops neutralized terrorists in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip on three separate occasions. This included one encounter with two terrorists that had anti-tank weapons near Nahal Oz, one encounter with a terrorist near Nir Am and an UAV strike on a terrorist cell identified last night near Kissufim. IDF engineering work has been completed on breaches in the security fence. Defense of the region continues to be augmented by tanks, infantry and aerial support.