Did Israeli Troops Eliminate Five Militants Emerging from Rafah Tunnel?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Five militants were killed by Israeli forces in Rafah.
- The incident occurred despite a ceasefire in effect since October 10.
- Israeli strikes have led to significant casualties in Gaza.
- The conflict continues to have severe humanitarian consequences.
- The situation remains fluid, with ongoing military operations and humanitarian concerns.
Jerusalem, Nov 26 (NationPress) The Israeli Defense Forces announced that their personnel have killed five militants who emerged from a tunnel shaft in Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the IDF indicated that troops conducting searches in the area "identified and eliminated" five armed individuals, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
An IDF spokesperson informed Xinhua that the incident "occurred within the IDF's operational area, east of the 'yellow line,'" which marks regions under Israeli control in Gaza.
According to the IDF, the five militants were likely part of a larger group trapped in an underground tunnel in eastern Rafah. The Israeli news site Ynet reported that in recent days, 22 of these militants have either been killed or captured after surfacing from the tunnels in search of essentials like water and food.
The IDF also shared images of weapons purportedly confiscated from the militants, which included three Kalashnikov rifles.
Despite the ceasefire that commenced on October 10, Israeli forces have continued to execute near-daily strikes across Gaza, resulting in at least 345 fatalities and 889 injuries, according to health authorities in Gaza.
The authorities further noted that since October 2023, Israeli airstrikes have claimed the lives of approximately 70,000 individuals and left more than 170,800 wounded, causing widespread devastation across the enclave.
Additionally, Israeli forces brought back to Israel the coffin of a deceased hostage, which was transferred by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad earlier on Tuesday, according to the IDF.
The remains will be sent to Israel's National Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification, while three hostages - Ran Gvili, Dror Or, and Thai citizen Sudthisak Rinthalak - remain unaccounted for since October 7, 2023.