The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued to attack Hamas terrorists in eastern Rafah on Sunday, as well as in the area of Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip, where Hamas is attempting to regroup after being routed in the area.
The IDF issued a statement:
Following calls to the civilian population to temporarily evacuate from the area of Jabaliya to shelters in western Gaza City, IDF troops began an operation overnight based on intelligence information regarding attempts by Hamas to reassemble its terrorist infrastructure and operatives in the area. Prior to the entry of the troops, IAF fighter jets and additional aircraft struck approximately 30 terror targets in the area and eliminated several Hamas terrorists.
Simultaneously, following IDF and ISA intelligence, IDF troops are continuing precise operations in specific areas of eastern Rafah and on the Gazan side of the Rafah Crossing. During the activity, IDF troops located and dismantled a number of tunnel shafts and rocket launchers ready to fire toward Israeli territory. In addition, IDF troops identified ten armed Hamas terrorists exiting terrorist infrastructure. An IAF aircraft and IDF troops struck and eliminated the terrorists.
Furthermore, the IDF is continuing to operate in the Zeitoun area in northern Gaza to eliminate terrorists and dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the area. Over the past day, IDF troops eliminated a number of terrorists in close-quarters combat, and in IAF aerial strikes, additional terrorists were eliminated and weapons and terrorist infrastructure were dismantled. An IAF aircraft eliminated two terrorists that fired at IDF troops operating in the area.
Moreover, over the past day, IAF fighter jets and additional aircraft struck and dismantled over 150 terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including terrorist cells, ready-to-fire rocket launches, weapon storage facilities, observation posts, tunnel shafts, and additional terrorist infrastructure.
Last week, Israel’s security cabinet voted to continue the war effort in Rafah, despite opposition from U.S. President Joe Biden and his threats to withhold weapons. It also voted to continue diplomatic efforts to produce a hostage deal.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, “The Zionist Conspiracy (and how to join it),” now available on Audible. He is also the author of the e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.