Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said on Tuesday that the country’s forces are making "significant achievements" in its ground operation against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Speaking to Air Force troops at the Palmachim air base, Gallant said that Israel is deploying a large force deep in the Palestinian exclave to great success, but noted that the Israeli forces have paid a heavy price in the process.

The minister added, however, that the country is determined to continue and win.

The Israel Defense Forces said that two soldiers were killed and two seriously injured in fierce fighting in Gaza on Tuesday, while numerous enemy combatants were killed.

According to Reuters and other media, Israel’s airstrike on Tuesday hit Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, with the Israeli military claiming that the offensive successfully eliminated a Hamas commander central to the October 7 attack.

A representative of Gaza's interior ministry reportedly estimated the number of civilian deaths and injuries in the airstrike at about 400.