Jerusalem, Oct 13, 2023, IANS

Jerusalem, Oct 13 (IANS) The Israel Defense Forces says infantry forces and tanks entered Gaza Strip territory today in "localized raids" in order to clear the area of potential terrorists and locate missing Israelis, media reported.

According to the military, the troops scanned and collected various findings "that may help in the effort to locate the missing", the Times of Israel reported.

The IDF says the troops also killed a number of terrorists in the area, including a Hamas cell that launched anti-tank guided missiles at Israel.

The troops did not enter deep into Gaza, Times of Israel reported.

IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari says armored and infantry forces carried out searches and "thwarted anti-tank guided missile squads that intended to infiltrate into Israeli territory".

"The forces located findings that may help in the effort to locate the missing," Hagari says, the report said.

"We will continue to make every effort to find every detail about the missing and hostages," he adds.

An estimated 150-200 people were taken hostage by Hamas during its murderous attack last Saturday. The IDF has so far notified the families of 120 hostages that their loved ones are being held in the Gaza Strip, Times of Israel reported.

According to Hezbollah's official announcement, the group's fighters attacked four Israeli positions and confirmed a hit, reports said.

Earlier on Friday, the IDF announced that it detected small-arms fire from Lebanese territory at several border posts, and that Israeli forces responded with artillery fire at Hezbollah positions and at the sources of the fire, Haaretz reported.

As Israel's northern border remains tense, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has visited neighbouring Lebanon and met with the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, BBC reported.

He warned that what he called "ongoing war crimes" against Palestinians in Gaza would "undoubtedly trigger a collective response from the resistance axis".