The IDF killed dozens of terrorists and dismantled terrorist infrastructure in between Friday night and Saturday morning, the military said.
Operational activities in the area began in order to enhance the IDF‘s security control and expand its security zone, the military added.
The IDF also assisted Gazan civilians to evacuate via organized routes, the statement said.
The Israeli Air Force intercepted a rocket that was launched from the Gaza Strip on Saturday night, on Passover eve, the military announced.
No casualties were reported in the incident.
תיעוד השיגור@Itsik_zuarets pic.twitter.com/kJuk6XQePH
The Hamas terrorist organization published on Saturday propaganda footage showing a sign of life of hostage Edan Alexander, who is still held captive in the Gaza Strip.
The terror group published the video as part of its ongoing efforts to carry out psychological terror.
Earlier, a teaser of the video was released by the group with the captions “Soon” and “Time is running out.”
Alexander’s family has yet to approve the publishing of the video or its contents.
This is a developing story.
Deadly clashes have broken out between the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group and Syrian armed forces as the latter attempted to destroy smuggling routes used during the Assad regime, the Washington Post reported on Saturday after speaking with a number of soldiers involved in the operations.
The terror group has reportedly attempted to tighten its grip on previous routes as a way to rearm following its war with Israel, which saw much of Hezbollah’s arsenal and senior leadership destroyed in strikes and a limited land operation.
Syrian patrol cars have come under frequent fire, and the patrolmen shot, according to the report. Last month, three soldiers were reportedly killed in the conflict.
While Syrian forces are attempting to guard the 233-mile border with Lebanon, Iran has reportedly begun expanding its smuggling contacts in Syria – allegedly trying to destabilize the new HTS government, which replaced Bashar al-Assad’s regime. European officials reportedly denied knowledge that Iran was directly trying to destabilize the country’s new leadership, in contrast with statements given by Syrian authorities
The Israel Navy published documentation of its operational activities in the Gaza Strip on Saturday afternoon.
The footage included missile ship activity in the Gaza Strip and observation of Israeli forces maneuvering on the ground.
“We will continue to operate from the sea against the terrorist organizations operating in the Strip in order to return the hostages and eliminate Hamas terrorists,” said IDF Navy Commander Vice-Admiral David Sa’ar Salama. “We maintain close cooperation with maneuvering Israeli ground forces and the Air Force.
“Our soldiers at sea continue to operate 24/7, in near and far arenas, in both many defensive and offensive missions,” Salama added.
The second round of talks between Iran and the US will “probably take place” on April 19, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told State TV, with the aim of discussing the broad framework of a potential agreement.
Iran and the US held talks in Oman on Saturday, a dialog meant to address Tehran’s escalating nuclear program, with President Donald Trump threatening military action if there is no deal.
The foreign minister added the location of talks may not be in Oman, but will still take place under Omani intermediation. “None of the parties are looking for fruitless talks, for talks that are time-wasting,” Araqchi said.
Omani foreign minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi wrote on X/Twitter that the talks “took place in a friendly atmosphere conducive to bridging viewpoints and ultimately achieving regional and global peace, security and stability.
“We will continue to work together and put further efforts to assist in arriving at this goal,” Busaidi, who mediated in the talks, added.
Iran and the United States finished their first round of indirect, high-level talks in Oman on Saturday afternoon, according to Iranian state media, with the two sides agreeing to continue talks next week.
The talks were held in the capital, Muscat, aimed at jump-starting negotiations over Tehran’s fast-advancing nuclear program, with US President Donald Trump threatening military action if there is no deal.
A member of Iran’s delegation was quoted by Tasnim as saying the talks with the US were held in a “positive atmosphere.”
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi led the Iranian delegation, while the talks were handled on the US side by Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. Iranian state media IRNA reported the two shared a direct, minutes-long conversation following the conclusion of Saturday’s mediated talks.
The IDF called for the immediate evacuation of the southern neighborhoods of Khan Yunis following the interception of three rockets launched from the southern Gaza city on Saturday morning.
The IDF’s Iron Dome air defense system intercepted three rockets launched after sirens sounded in the Nir Yitzhak, Sufa, and Holit areas.
The Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Col. Avichay Adraee, issued on Saturday a “final warning” of evacuation for the Khan Yunis neighborhoods of Qizan al-Najjar, Qizan Abu Rashwan, al-Salam, al-Manara, al-Qurain, Maan, al-Batn al-Sameen, Jurt al-Lot, and al-Fakhar.
“We will attack with great force every area from which rockets are launched,” Adraee posted on X/Twitter.
#عاجل ‼️ إلى جميع سكان قطاع غزة المتواجدين في مناطق خان يونس وفي الأحياء: قيزان النجار، قيزان ابو رشوان، السلام، المنارة، القرين، معن، البطن السمين، جورت اللوت، الفخاري وأحياء بني سهيلا الجنوبية
🔴هذا انذار مسبق وأخير قبل الهجوم!🔴
⭕️سنهاجم بقوة شديدة كل منطقة يتم إطلاق قذائف… pic.twitter.com/350ljlC0Wr
“Once again, Palestinian terrorist organizations are launching their senseless rockets among civilians and bear full responsibility for their suffering.
“For your safety, you must move immediately west to the known shelters in Al-Mawasi.”
This is a developing story.
The IDF has completed the encirclement of Gaza’s Rafah, the Israeli military said on Saturday, part of an announced plan to seize more areas of the Gaza Strip, accompanied by large-scale evacuations of the population.
Israel said on April 2 that troops had begun seizing an area it called the Morag Corridor, a reference to a former Israeli settlement once located between the cities of Rafah and Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have since fled Rafah, a 60 square km area that borders Egypt to the south.
“Over the past 24 hours, the 36th Division’s troops completed the establishment of the Morag route, separating Rafah and Khan Yunis,” the military said on Saturday.
IDF soldiers operate in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, April 12, 2025 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON’S UNIT)Following the IDF’s takeover of the Morag Corridor, Defense Minister Israel Katz addressed Gaza residents, stating: “This is the final opportunity to dismantle Hamas, release all the hostages, and bring the war to an end.”
“The IDF will soon intensify its operations across most of Gaza. Those who are interested will also be able to voluntarily move to various countries in the world in accordance with the vision of the US President, which we are working on,” he added.
Hamas launched a massive attack on October 7, with thousands of terrorists infiltrating from the Gaza border and taking some 240 hostages into Gaza.
Over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were murdered, including over 350 at the Supernova music festival and hundreds of Israeli civilians across Gaza border communities.
59 hostages remain in Gaza.
49 hostages in total have been killed in captivity, IDF says.
The IDF launched a ground invasion of Lebanon on September 30.
The Israel-Lebanon ceasefire came into effect on November 27 at 4 a.m.
Netanyahu confirmed the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire on January 17, 2025.
