IDF Gears up to Take Gaza-Egypt Rafah Crossing as Hamas Close to Defeat in Khan Younis Terror Stronghold, Israeli Defense Minister Says
Also, IDF eliminated over 10,000 Hamas terrorists since Gaza operation began.
The Israeli military is gearing up to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt as it wraps up the offensive in the Hamas stronghold of Khan Younis, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced Friday.
The defense minister assured that “we are completing the mission in Khan Younis and we will also reach Rafah and eliminate everyone there who is a terrorist who is trying to harm us.” The Egyptian border, particularly the area around Rafah Border Crossing, is a major weapons supply line and terrorist escape route for Hamas in Gaza.
Rafah, the southernmost part of the Gaza, is infested with underground terror tunnels leading into Egypt. According to an October 2023 report by the DC-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), the “tunnels to Egypt played key Role in arming Hamas.”
With the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tightening the noose around Hamas’s terrorist leadership and jihadi fighters running out of arms and ammunition, the closing of the terrorist supply lines though Rafah is a key Israeli military objective.
Gallant vows IDF will push south to Rafah as #KhanYounis offensive wraps up
'The army claims it has operational control over northern #Gaza… There's been fighting in the northern sector with #Hamas terrorists popping out of unidentified tunnels,' @P_Klochendler reports pic.twitter.com/zcAG7X5p2E
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) February 2, 2024
IDF eliminated over 10,000 Hamas terrorists since Gaza operation began
Since the Gaza ground offensive began nearly 100 days ago, the IDF has eliminated 10,000 Hamas terrorist fighters and wounded thousands more, the defense minister disclosed.
“They don’t have weapons, they don’t have ammunition, they don’t have the ability to treat the wounded, they have 10,000 dead terrorists and another 10,000 wounded who are not functioning,” the minister said.
The figures were announced amid mounting casualties among Hamas terrorists in recent days. “10,000 Hamas fighters have been killed and 10,000 wounded, up from around 9,000 killed and around 8,000 wounded around a week and a half ago,” the Jerusalem Post reported Friday citing the minister.
The Times of Israel reported the minister’s remarks:
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vows that the Israeli military will reach and dismantle Hamas’s Rafah Brigade, just as it is currently working to do to its battalions in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza.
“Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade boasted that it would stand against the IDF, it is dismantled, and I am telling you here, we are completing the mission in Khan Younis and we will also reach Rafah and eliminate everyone there who is a terrorist who is trying to harm us,” says Gallant to troops of the IDF’s 98th Division, during a visit to Khan Younis today.
He says the IDF’s operations in Khan Younis are “progressing with impressive results,” and that it is “much more difficult for Hamas.”
“They don’t have weapons, they don’t have ammunition, they don’t have the ability to treat the wounded, they have 10,000 dead terrorists and another 10,000 wounded who are not functioning,” Gallant says.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vows that the Israeli military will reach and dismantle Hamas’s Rafah Brigade, just as it is currently working to do to its battalions in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza.
“Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade boasted that it would stand against the IDF, it is dismantled, and I am telling you here, we are completing the mission in Khan Younis and we will also reach Rafah and eliminate everyone there who is a terrorist who is trying to harm us,” says Gallant to troops of the IDF’s 98th Division, during a visit to Khan Younis today.
He says the IDF’s operations in Khan Younis are “progressing with impressive results,” and that it is “much more difficult for Hamas.”
“They don’t have weapons, they don’t have ammunition, they don’t have the ability to treat the wounded, they have 10,000 dead terrorists and another 10,000 wounded who are not functioning,” Gallant says.
“It’s a blow that is eroding their ability [to fight], but you have to reach all the places,” he says.
Gallant tells the troops that their actions, both above ground and underground in Khan Younis, “brings the return of the hostages closer, because Hamas only understands power.”
During operations in western Khan Yunis our commando forces:
🔺 Encountered and eliminated numerous armed terrorists.
🔺Located an explosives lab, stockpiles of weapons, RPGs and tactical equipment.
🔺Conducted targeted operations to strengthen operational control over the… pic.twitter.com/1svXWOMvDU— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 2, 2024
IDF uncovers Hamas terror tunnel with elevator
As the Israeli military combs though Gaza, it continues to uncover Hamas’s vast and sophisticated underground terrorist infrastructure. The IDF troops in the northern Gaza neighborhood of Al Shati uncovered a large terror tunnel equipped with an elevator.
“The IDF released on Saturday footage from Israeli forces’ operations in the northern Gaza Strip, depicting a sophisticated tunnel system featuring an underground elevator,” the Israel news website Ynet wrote Saturday.
IDF discovers a tunnel route in Gaza with an underground elevator:
The IDF destroyed the tunnel shaft that led to a hideout room for the Hamas terrorist organization and which contained an underground elevator. pic.twitter.com/c5YqLaqjSQ
— Emily Schrader – אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) February 3, 2024
Israeli armed forces continued to destroy Hamas’s terrorist fighting force operating across Gaza. “During targeted raids in the northern and central Gaza Strip over the last day, IDF troops killed dozens of terrorists and destroyed numerous anti-tank missile launchers,” the military revealed in a statement on Saturday morning. “During a targeted raid on an office belonging to a Hamas terrorist, the troops located military equipment, weapons, and Hamas documents.”
IDF hits Hezbollah posts after renewed rocket barrage
The Israeli military on Saturday hit Hezbollah terrorist posts in southern Lebanon in response to repeated rocket fire into Israel. The Iran-backed terrorist group has intensified cross-border attacks as Hamas struggles to hold control over Gaza.
WATCH: IDF destroys Hezbollah headquarters, outposts in southern Lebanon #Israel #Hezbollah #Lebanon https://t.co/yAp7pCslpx pic.twitter.com/XbyQH70XD1
— Eli Dror (@edrormba) February 3, 2024
“Throughout the day, three launches were identified crossing from Lebanon and falling in open areas in Bar’am and Zar’it, northern Israel. No injuries were reported,” the IDF said in a press release Saturday afternoon.
“A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon, including two observation posts in the areas of Marwahin and Ayta ash Shab, a military command center in the area of Yaroun in which Hezbollah terrorists operated, and a launch post from which launches toward northern Israel were carried out,” the IDF added.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
The despicable and evil phenomenon whereby European, leftist dhimmis and American Dhimmi-crats blame the victims of Muslim supremacism, terrorism, totalitarianism, belligerence, hatred and Islamofacsism, for defending themselves against it, must be examined. This wicked posture of feckless and dishonest dhimmitude must end, in the west.
I suspect that Hamas can’t seriously negotiate releasing the rest of the hostages because they have raped and murdered most of them. They are trying to get whatever concessions they can before the truth is revealed.
My heart goes out to the friends and relatives of those who were killed and taken hostage. Never again! That means eliminating all the Hamas terrorists and their entire infrastructure.
10,000 wounded is a euphemism for another 10,000 dead terrorists 😂
There was a time when we fought our enemies like that, but those were the good ole days.
Now we say (or maybe whisper) “don’t”, give plenty of warning and bomb empty buildings. To paraphrase Teddy Roosevelt: Talk loudly and carry a cane.
10K 0r 20K is a drop in the bucket of about 3.5 million 18 and under who have been indoctrinated to be the next wave of terrorists.
Two thoughts if I may. First, i like LI’s coverage of Gaza, and suggest that you include a quick outline map of Gaza with the locations mentioned on it. Most people are not familiar with the local geography.
Second, there are a lot of tunnels all over Gaza that terrorists will re-use as soon as they can. Israel has said that it is not going to pump sea water into them to collapse them because they fear harming the water table. With all due respect, this is war to the knife, and damaging the water table in Gaza [if it can be done without contaminating Israeli water sources] seems like a pretty good idea.
Subotai Bahadur
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D09H0QfRs4
Google Maps is good. The Strip is small enough that much of it can appear on a monitor with good resolution. What is surprising is the satellite view. The MSM gives the impression that Gaza is one big refugee camp, with all that evokes. Yet the Strip is surprisingly built-up and incredibly dense urban area. None of the imagined open-air camps, tents, communal latrines, and unpaved roads that come to mind due to the incessant reference to the Gazans as “refugees.” The different operational areas aren’t widely separated, like, say, Hue and Saigon. These areas are cheek-by-jowl, more like Philadelphia and Camden.
If they don’t pump water, they will disable them, destroy them, or will mine them with hidden explosives that can be detonated remotely at a later date, not to mention planting thousands of listening devices, cameras and all kinds of other advanced technology that no one knows about.
One thing is for sure, they will not just leave them as they are. The tunnels will not be very useful to terrorists when the Israelis are done with them.
Vijeta, thank you. Your coverage continues to impress.
I agree with Mr. Bahadur — flood the tunnels. Or fill them with fuel-air explosive and light it off (a tad more dangerous to the Israeli soldiers who would do that job). Or collapse the tunnels and don’t worry about what happens at ground level.
If the tunnels are left intact they’ll just be re-used.
And in the future, no more imports of concrete and steel into Gaza. The Gazans can build wooden buildings for their homes and shops.
Flood them and if any pumps or outgoing water is discovered from any of them indicating they are being rebuilt then bomb them killing the people working on them.
What do you call 10,000 dead terrorists?
C’mon all you lawyers out there, you should know this one!
The genocide of 10,000 Gazan civilians?
Pick one:
1. off to a good start
2. a drop in the bucket
3. be seeing ya
This is what a rout looks like.
Society writ large is shocked, because we haven’t seen a lot of wars conducted intent on winning, lately.
Israel is intent on taking out Hamas, but the problem is far worse than Hamas. Most of the problems could be dealt with by neutralizing Iran.
I have yet to hear a serious end game proposal from the various big-brained concerned. Plenty of spittle-flecked speeches from big podiums. Plenty of snarky declarations from cross-legged interviewees in conference panels. None of them have to live with any of what they declare, let alone make it work.
Now, I don’t want to get off on a rant, here, but…
When “cease fire, and commitment to a two=state solution” is failed on the face — that’s where things were before this round started — that’s a non-starter for the end game. They don’t want anything like a solution, only for this particular mess to go away again, for now. They like having the issue, but would like less disruption to internal politics, geopolitics, and international trade.
Inconvenient realities:
— It’s hard to make peace with people set on wiping you out.
— Both of the actively engaged groups consider the issue existential.
— Both groups think they control all the contested ground, or they are doomed in the end.
— They’re proxies and pawns for any number of outside interests, who don’t suffer much if there’s active fighting between the river and the sea.
The current round has added:
— Israel is unified, intent on its national survival in a way I haven’t seen before. They’ve decided at least Hamas are an existential threat.
— Solving The Palestinian Problem is NIMBYism on steroids — nobody wants them around, or even running around loose.
— Gaza plus “humanitarian aid” doesn’t become livable. Unoccupied Gaza becomes an armed camp lobbing rockets into Israel while cooking up whatever else they can.
Solving the Palestinian problem is the death of strategies n reputations because every on of those constraints looks solvable. Israel could be convinced it’s not “us or them.” Yeah, right. Gaza could be a paradise if only it weren’t so oppressed. OK, how many power plants, industries, or water systems per mile of tunnel? What’s one rocket worth of sugar and fertilizer to do food prices and local produce, there?
I wish I was there. Dismiss that as the ravings of a geriatric lunatic if you like. I look at the tunnels Hamas built. Exactly the environment I trained to the environment I trained to fight in.
I joined the Navy because, Gulf of Sidra. USS Stark. Yeah they got a lot wrong. I’m disappointed in the in the Gravely.
I took every opportunity to train. Small arms, I qualified with every weapon in the small arms locker. So I didn’t bother with the formal class. Shipboard Security Engagement Weapons.
I was afraid. So I trained. I’m practically an EMT. But the whole point of me training with the weapons we have available is you don’t get close.