IDF Deepens Rafah Operation, Tanks Push Toward Hamas-Held City Center
Defense Minister Gallant: “This operation will intensify.”
As Rafah operation enters its tenth day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) advanced further into the Hamas stronghold. After cutting off Rafah from Egypt early in the operation, the Israeli tanks were now “pushing into built-up areas,” the BBC noted Thursday, suggesting the IDF was moving towards the terrorist-held city center.
Israel is taking great care to minimize civilian casualties as it moves to eliminate Hamas’s terrorist leadership and fighting force hiding in Rafah. Around 600,000 civilians have been evacuate since IDF launched the offensive on May 6, “including 150,000 people in the past 48 hours,” the UK broadcaster noted.
The IDF ground operation, which began in late October, deprived Hamas of its control over most of Gaza, forcing its terrorist leadership to withdrew to the southernmost city of Rafah. Estimated four battalion-size terrorist formations were hiding in the city‘s urban landscape.
Israel military vowed to eliminate Hamas’s battalions in Rafah, as well as its remanet fighting force attempting to regroups elsewhere in Gaza, particularly in the northern city of Jabaliya.
“We are currently in the process of increasing the pressure in Gaza,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said in a statement release Wednesday night.
“We are striking widely and strongly in the north of the Gaza Strip in Jabaliya. And once again we see there attempts [by Hamas] to hold on and rebuild, therefore we need to deal with this again, and prove that we will return each time,” the military chief added.
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday pledged to send more troops into Rafah.
The ongoing “operation will continue with additional forces which will invade,” Gallant said. The Israeli military will ensure that “the faucet to Hamas is closed,” the defense minister added, referring to weapons and supplies from Egyptian border getting into Rafah though tunnels.
Despite Biden administration’s to the Rafah offensive, Jerusalem was determined to take the terror stronghold in multiple phases, Israeli news reports suggest.
🚨 The @IDF has destroyed cross-border smuggling tunnels from Egypt into Gaza, Defense Minister @yoavgallant seems to suggest:
“A number of tunnels in the area have already been destroyed – Hamas’ ‘taps’ are being shut.” pic.twitter.com/PEsRccZ8FV
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) May 16, 2024
The Times of Israel reported defense minister’s remarks:
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, following an assessment on the Gaza border, near Rafah, says more troops will be deployed to the city in the southern Gaza Strip as the military presses on with an operation against Hamas there. (…)
“This operation will continue with additional forces that will enter [the area]. Several tunnels in the area have been destroyed by our forces and more tunnels will be destroyed soon,” Gallant says in remarks provided by his office. (…)
“This operation will intensify and Hamas is not an organization that can regenerate itself now. It has no reserves, it has no ability to manufacture weapons, it has no supplies, it has no munitions, it has no ability to properly treat terrorists who are injured, and this means that we are wearing it down,” Gallant adds.
The IDF expects the Israeli government to approve widening the offensive in Rafah, as it has done so far in stages.
In a tragic incident reported Thursday, five IDF soldiers were killed and several others injured in friendly fire when Israeli tanks mistakenly fired on troops operating in northern Gaza.
“Two IDF tanks killed five IDF soldiers and wounded seven more in a friendly fire incident on Wednesday when they fired on a forward IDF battalion headquarters in Jabalya in northern Gaza. The IDF cleared for publication on Thursday,” the Jerusalem Post reported. “The tanks were said to be under extreme pressure from dozens of rocket-propelled grenade attacks in the area.”
A tragedy beyond words. 5 beautiful young men, soldiers. They were still so young, their whole lives ahead. 💔💔💔💔💔 pic.twitter.com/KbBPsWo3C9
— Arsen Ostrovsky 🎗️ (@Ostrov_A) May 16, 2024
Hezbollah fires drones and rocket barrage towards Golan Heights, hits military site
Iran-backed Hezbollah continues to escalate on Israel’s northern border. The terror group on Thursday fired a massive barrage of rockets and drones from southern Lebanon.
“Approximately 40 launches were identified crossing from Lebanon toward the Golan Height,” the IDF confirmed Thursday.
Rocket impacts reported in the Western Galilee, as sirens sound in the area. pic.twitter.com/nQ0FTf8jiy
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 16, 2024
At least two Hezbollah drones hit an air defense facility used for operating high-altitude radar blimps. The site was located 21 miles from the Lebanon border. “Hezbollah managed to hit a sensitive military facility in the Lower Galilee with an explosive drone on Wednesday evening,” The Times of Israel reported citing IDF sources. “The second explosive drone struck the facility, and the damage was being assessed by the military.”
The news outlet described the drone attack as “Hezbollah’s deepest strike” since the conflict reignited on October 7.
Huge airstrikes by #Israel tonight targeting #Hezbollah in #Lebanon after it launched a drone striking deep in northern Israel–the furthest attack in Israel carried out to date since October 7. pic.twitter.com/gnXLVc2PBV
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) May 15, 2024
Israel carried out airstrikes in retaliation to Hezbollah’s latest aggression. “In response to the launches and following the identification of their origin, IAF fighter jets struck one of the military posts from which they were fired,” the IDF disclosed in a statement Thursday. “Moreover, earlier today, the IDF struck a Hezbollah military structure in which terrorists were operating in the area of Ayta ash Shab, as well as an additional military structure in the area of Halta.”
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Time for Blinkin and James Taylor to show up in Gaza for a good old fashioned Islamic sing along.
Don’t forget to invite Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, too.
The concept of nation-building should be on the ash heap of history.
Combine that with repeal of Hart Celler, please.
Democrats: You cannot kill an ideology.
[Tamil Tigers have entered the chat]
😂😂
So it looks like the cheeky Jews will do this slowly and methodically and not with the awe and thunder the Democrats expected eh.
Why it’s almost as if the Democrats actually haven’t got a f88king clue isn’t it 😂
This is war, not some Call of Duty computer game.
Deadly mistakes will and do happen in every military conflict sadly. It’s easy for anyone to criticize it, while people on the ground are on edge and in a fog, because they know at any minute death is waiting around the corner.
Every single “civilian” casualty in Gaza — those “civilians” having gleefully elected and supported the genocidal, terrorist Hamas regime, and, participated in its atrocities and pogroms — is fairly laid at the feet of Hamas and the “civilians” themselves, for having initiated this war.
It is war, to end it successfully, more terrorists have to be killed than are being born-indoctrinated.
Wow, give this battlefield genius his third star.
These solders deaths are still Hams and Pale fault, make them pay dearly.
Gallant should be doing a lot less talking about what IDF is going to do. smh
Good luck IDF, don’t stop until you get to the end.
It infuriates me that the vile, evil and stupid Dhimmi-crats and European, Leftist dhimmis are forcing Israel to fight this morally righteous and justified battle against genocidal, goose-stepping, hate-filled Muslim fascists, fanatics and Islamofascists, with one hand tied behind its back.
The western world has learned nothing, despite an ample historical and contemporary record comprising 1,400 years of ceaseless, unrestrained genocides, atrocities and oppression visited by Muslims upon Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and other non-Muslims, worldwide, since the wretched founding of the intrinsically supremacist, totalitarian and pathology-laden ideology of “Submission.”
It appears that truth hurts JR feelings 🙂
So suit up and join the fight, tough guy. We’re all waiting for you and your brave crusading brothers in arms to wipe out the evil Mohammaden scourge. What are you waiting for?
Eventually we will have to clone Israel’s actions in America.
A day or two ago, Secretary of State was filmed playing guitar at a bar in Kiev.
While Ukrainians and Russians are being killed and maimed.
Can you even try to wrap your head around the level of disrespect? the complete , utter disconnect ……. from what he actually is doing. His actual job. The real life impact that his choices make on life and death of real life humans.
Antony Blinken is playing. Like a seventh grader. He can’t wait to get home to present his Show-And-Tell and his Home Videos from his trip to Middle East and Eastern Europe . An utterly clueless, utterly aself-satisfied , utterly despicable human
God speed IDF
May I AM the GOD of your fathers
the only true GOD protect and lead you.. May HE give wisdom to your leaders and fill your enemies with fear. May Yahweh Bless them that bless you, and curse them that curse you.
Well, with “smuggling” tunnels from Egypt shut down, can Hamas bring their arms in via US floating piers, or do they have to run tunnels under those too? How hard is that, while shelling them at the same time?
How unsurprising that tunnels led under the border from Egypt to Gaza so the terrorists could smuggle arms in. It’s almost like Egypt has a deal with Hamas. You stay over there and we will let you use the tunnels.
Israel has let it’s military leaders make a plan and execute it slowly and with deliberation. This is something our civilian politicians in the US would never allow happen no matter how incompetent they are.
I pray that Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and their “tribes” are in the “werewolves” phase.
To be accelerated by the MAGA movement, regardless of who wins in November and what may happen in WDC.
I read something from Amir Tsfarti (?) that IDF discovered 70 underground tunnels in Rafah. Of the discovered 70 tunnels, 50 crossed into Egypt.
I cannot but help think that Sinwar and his top group have escaped into Egypt by now.
No matter. Historically, IDF (Mossad?) will hunt Sinwar, Hamas leaders, and the top group to the ground (within 1 day of discovery/kill).
Blinken belongs to the group of appeasement and does not understand the history of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity PLUS Ukraine and Russia.
At least, we can pray that November will favor our country…from top to bottom. Including the stupid Rinos like Dan Bacon.
I thought Egypt did not want the Gaza refugees so how the heck is it allowing the Hamas leaders go through these tunnels?