The Israel Defense Forces says that ground forces operating in the Gaza Strip have directed the Air Force to carry out some 5,000 strikes to “thwart threats in real time.” Writes The Times Of Israel.
It says some 3,300 strikes were carried out by fighter jets, 860 by combat helicopters and more than 570 by unmanned aerial vehicles.
Many of the airstrikes have taken place within a few hundred meters of ground forces, and some even closer than that.
The IDF says the strikes have aided ground forces in foiling threats to forces, as well as returning fire at Hamas operatives mid-battle.
It says the shortest time measured between the moment of ground troops calling in a target and an airstrike was six minutes.
IDF footage shows several recent drone strikes and one strike by a combat helicopter on Hamas operatives, which were directed by ground troops.