JERUSALEM -- Israeli tanks and infantry raided the northern Gaza Strip in a predawn attack Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

The military said that forces conducted "a targeted raid" using tanks in the northern Gaza Strip. According to the statement, the raid was "part of preparations for the next stages of combat," in which Israel plans a ground offensive in Gaza.

During the raid, soldiers located and struck "numerous" militants, infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch posts and "operated to prepare the battlefield," IDF said.

According to a statement, the soldiers have since exited the area and returned to Israeli territory.

There were no reports of casualties on the Israeli side, and the soldiers exited the area at the end of the incursion.

At least 6,546 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its war on Hamas on Oct. 7 following Hamas' onslaught on communities in southern Israel earlier that day.