GAZA/JERUSALEM - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Tuesday that it had killed about 100 militants and uncovered weapons and hideouts in the Shabura area of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.
IDF Spokesman Avichay Adraee stated on the social media platform X that, during operations over the past few days, Israeli forces identified and eliminated an armed cell in a precise operation. He noted that booby-trapped buildings, weapons, and hideouts were discovered and subsequently destroyed.
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Additionally, the IDF clashed with another armed cell fortified in an apartment within a civilian neighborhood, resulting in the elimination of the militants. Following the clash, the Israeli soldiers searched the building, uncovering weapons, vests, and an operational tunnel, according to the statement.
There was no immediate response from Hamas or other Palestinian factions.
Witnesses told Xinhua that the IDF is establishing a buffer zone and conducting extensive excavation along the border, extending up to 1 km inside Rafah. They also reported extensive bombing in Rafah neighborhoods and claimed that the Israeli army is preventing medical teams and civil defense personnel from accessing these areas.
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Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a Hamas attack on Oct 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and around 250 hostages being taken.
Also on Tuesday, Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, launched two rockets from Gaza at the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.
"We launched two rockets of M-90 at the Israeli city of Tel Aviv in response to the Israeli violations against civilians in Gaza," said al-Qassam in a press statement.
Avichai Adraee, spokesman of the Israeli army, said in a press statement that a rocket was launched from the Gaza Strip and fell into the sea in central Israel. No alerts were activated.
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At the same time, another shell was detected being fired, but it did not violate Israeli sovereignty, Adraee added.
The last time Hamas targeted central Israel with rockets was in May.
