Achieving the goals that Israel has defined will take a long time. The elimination of Hamas' rule and the destruction of its military capabilities will not be achieved in a single defined and limited operation. They will be the results of a process that will involve many prolonged and continuous actions. It is important to formulate plans and manage expectations accordingly.

The IDF said that it believes this drone was likely related to the "threat coming from the Red Sea," presumably referring to the Iranian-back Houthi rebels that have recently fired toward Israel. Taba straddles Egypt's border with Israel's Red Sea port of Eilat. Hamas said on Wednesday it had targeted Eilat with a missile, which the Israeli military said hit an outlying area.

Israel has urged Russia to expel the visiting Hamas delegation, calling their invitation to Moscow "deplorable." Russia has ties to all the key players in the Middle East, including Israel, Iran, Syria, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.

A senior defense official said the sites were chosen because the IRGC stores the types of munitions there that were used in the strikes against US bases and troops. The two officials briefed reporters after the strikes on condition of anonymity to provide details on the mission that had not yet been made public.