Israel-Gaza updates: Israeli forces preparing for 'wide range of offensive plans'

The commander of a Hamas unit responsible for leading an attack on Kibbutz Nirim was killed in a strike overnight, Israeli military officials said.

Billal Al Kedra, the leader in the southern arm of Hamas commando forces, Khan Yunis Nukhba, was "neutralized" as fighter jets strafed areas of Gaza, officials said in a statement.

"The IDF also struck over one hundred military targets located in Zaytun, Khan Yunis, and west Jabaliya," Israel said. "These strikes impacted the capabilities of the Hamas terrorist organization, by targeting its operational command centers, military compounds, dozens of launchers, anti-tank missile launch posts and observation posts."

Early Sunday morning, Israel Defense Forces Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus went live on X and stated Hamas is blocking "the evacuation of civilians."

IDF said Hamas issued warnings to residents in Gaza to ignore Israel’s evacuation notice that was issued Friday morning. When civilians did try to leave, Hamas "stopped civilians” and “convoys of Gazan civilians trying to flee," according to Conricus.

Conricus said, "Through the night, rockets were fired at Tel Aviv and southern Israel" and combat is happening "in and around" the northern part of the Gaza Strip while the IDF is continuing to attack "different military targets belonging to Hamas."

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Israeli forces deploy near Gaza border in preparation of possible ground operationIsraeli military vehicles were seen stationed near the Gaza border Sunday morning as Israeli troops prepare for "significant ground operations," IDF says.

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"The next stage of operations will be enhanced operations against Hamas until we dismantle Hamas and its military capabilities," said the IDF spokesperson.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters on Saturday, "We already have planes that have left Israel air space and are on its way to Florida. We are going to end up having hundreds and hundreds of Floridians that are going to be brought back to Florida in the ensuing days."

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1st planes transporting Floridians back home left Israel: DeSantis“We already have planes that have left Israel airspace and are on its way to Florida,” the Governor said to reporters on Saturday in Iowa.

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DeSantis told reporters earlier in the day the planes will land on Sunday.

"We have a lot of Floridians there," DeSantis said Friday. "The federal government really wasn't doing what they needed to do get people out, so we just did an executive order yesterday. We’re going to be sending flights from Israel, back to Florida."

-ABC News' Will McDuffie and Hannah Demissie

In an interview with ABC News' Phil Lipof, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said they are preparing for an "intensification of our combat operations."

"The aim of our operation is to dismantle Hamas and its military capabilities to make sure that Hamas will never again have the ability to kill or abduct or threaten Israeli civilians," Conricus said.

Conricus said more than 400,000 people have evacuated Gaza to the south before it becomes an "active combat zone." Asked about the risk to civilians who remain, he conceded it will be a "difficult and dangerous" environment for them.

"Wherever applicable and wherever the situation on the ground allows us to do so, we will spare the life of civilians and we will try to apply our force in such a way that it causes minimal damage to civilians," he said.

"We will do our best not to strike civilians. They are not our enemy," he added.

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'This is a war, not another military operation': IDF spokespersonInternational spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, Jonathan Conricus joins ABC News Live to discuss the country's anticipated ground incursion into Gaza.

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