Hamas leaders in Qatar mourned Abdallah Hamad, a Hamas operative killed by the IDF in Rafah, amid reports of recent Israeli strikes on Hamas tunnels and leadership, highlighting ongoing conflict and Hamas' unity demonstration.
Israeli soldiers engaged with terrorists emerging from tunnels in southern Gaza, killing three of four identified terrorists, amid ongoing efforts to dismantle terror tunnels in Rafah. The IDF also targeted additional terror sites, and Israel reached a deal with the US to deport 200 terrorists hiding in tunnels below Rafah, though no country has agreed to accept them yet. The situation remains developing.
Israeli forces killed several terrorists who crossed the Yellow Line in Gaza and approached Israeli soldiers, with incidents occurring in northern, southern, and central Gaza, amidst ongoing tensions despite a recent US-brokered ceasefire.
IDF troops, in coordination with the Israel Air Force, conducted operations in Rafah and central Gaza, destroying a launch site and eliminating armed terrorists. The IAF struck over 30 terror targets, including infrastructures and weapons storage facilities, with no reported injuries among the IDF forces.
IDF troops operating in the Gaza Strip uncovered weapons in a Rafah cemetery and engaged in multiple confrontations with terrorists, resulting in the death of several militants and the serious injury of one Israeli soldier.
The IDF issued a statement acknowledging a "human error" after publishing a collage containing photos of terrorists captured at Shifa Hospital in Gaza, including one of the chief of Hamas operations who had not yet been captured. The IDF clarified that the claim of psychological warfare had no basis and stated that the operation at the hospital had successfully arrested high-ranking terrorists and eliminated approximately 150 terrorists in the area.
The IDF's elite forces in Khan Yunis's Hamad neighborhood have reportedly eliminated about 100 terrorists, including a commander in Hamas's special force, the Nukhba commandos, and have located terrorist infrastructures in the area. Raids on high-rise buildings and over 100 airstrikes have contributed to operational successes, with the arrest of many terrorists and the destruction of a terrorist base.
The Israel Air Force, in coordination with artillery units, conducted around 50 airstrikes in Khan Yunis, Gaza, within six minutes, targeting terrorist infrastructure and operatives to support IDF ground troops. The strikes hit subterranean structures, military infrastructure, missile launch posts, and meeting points of terrorists, resulting in the elimination of terror infrastructure and numerous operatives. Over 30 terrorists were also killed by IDF troops in central Gaza, with one engagement leading to the elimination of a terrorist cell loading weapons.
IDF's Egoz Unit engaged in a prolonged standoff with terrorists embedded in a building in Khan Yunis, employing the "pressure cooker" procedure to eliminate them. After the battle, a stockpile of weapons, including Kalashnikovs and grenades, was discovered at the site. In a separate encounter, two more terrorists barricaded themselves in a house and were also eliminated by the troops.
The IDF has identified and apprehended terrorists attempting to hide among evacuating Gazan civilians, as well as locating weapons caches and destroying rocket launchers in ongoing operations in the Gaza Strip. Additionally, the Israeli Air Force eliminated a terrorist cell using drones, and carried out strikes against Hamas's aerial unit.
The IDF conducted operations in Khan Younis, killing around 30 terrorists and strengthening control of the area through targeted raids, sniper ambushes, and patrols. They identified and killed two terrorists attempting to blend in with civilians, and also directed an aerial attack on terrorists transporting explosives on a motorcycle. Additionally, at least 10 terrorists were killed in northern Gaza, including a cell preparing to fire an anti-tank missile at IDF troops.
The IDF arrested 20 Hamas terrorists hiding in the Al Amal Hospital in Gaza's Khan Yunis, coordinating the search with hospital staff and ensuring no harm to patients or staff. Following the arrests, the IDF facilitated the delivery of over 20 oxygen tanks and additional medical equipment to the hospital, collaborating with international aid organizations and local officials due to the hospital's use as an operational hideout by terrorists and the intense combat in the area.
The IDF engaged in intense fighting in Khan Yunis, arresting and eliminating terrorists involved in the October 7 attacks, with combat soldiers from various units involved. The Maglan unit killed three terrorists, while Paratroopers and soldiers from the Givati Brigade eliminated over 20 terrorists and struck terrorist targets. Additionally, the 401st Brigade and Nahal Brigade also eliminated terrorists and targeted Hamas military infrastructure in the northern and central parts of the Gaza Strip.
The IDF announced the destruction of rocket launchers used to attack central Israel, along with the elimination of terrorist cells in various parts of the Gaza Strip, including the central and northern areas as well as Khan Yunis. Operations involved airstrikes targeting terrorists and their military assets, with soldiers locating large quantities of weapons and using drones for real-time intelligence to eliminate terrorist squads.
The IDF eliminated a terrorist force attempting an ambush in Gaza through a combined ground and air counter-attack, also identifying and eliminating another squad of terrorists in a separate incident.