With the terror group Hamas deliberately operating in humanitarian zones created by Israel to keep Gaza residents out of harm’s way, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has ordered the evacuation of a part of the civilian zone in southern Gaza in a bid to root out terrorists in the area effectively.
“Due to significant terrorist activity and rocket fire toward the State of Israel from the eastern part of the Humanitarian Area in the Gaza Strip, remaining in this area has become dangerous,” the IDF said in a statement Tuesday morning. “Accordingly, at this time, the Humanitarian Area will be adjusted. The adjustment is being carried out in accordance with precise intelligence indicating that Hamas has embedded terrorist infrastructure in the area defined as the Humanitarian Area.”
The Israeli military informed the residents of the area well in advance to facilitate an orderly evacuation — a move that Hamas terrorists will certainly use to flee among civilians. In the past, Hamas created armed roadblocks to prevent Gazans from leaving the combat zone and attacked IDF soldiers, helping with civilian evacuation.
“The early warning to civilians is being made in order to mitigate harm to the civilian population and keep civilians away from areas of combat,” the Israeli military assured.
The area being evacuated is located in the southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis, a few miles from the Hamas strong of Rafah. With the Israeli troops gaining control of nearly 70 percent of Rafah, Hamas is increasingly using humanitarian areas in Khan Yunis to attack IDF and fire rockets at Israel.
“The IDF is about to forcefully operate against the terrorist organizations and therefore calls on the remaining population left in the eastern neighborhoods of Khan Yunis to temporarily evacuate to the adjusted Humanitarian Area in Al-Mawasi,” the Israeli military added in the statement. “The IDF will continue to act against the Hamas terrorist organization, which uses the Gazan civilians as a human shield for its terrorist activities and infrastructure.”
Khan Yunis is also a safe haven for Hamas’s terrorist leadership, hiding since October 7. On July 13, the IDF carried out an airstrike in Khan Yunis aimed at eliminating Hamas’s top terrorist commander Mohammed Deif. The whereabouts of the targeted terrorist are yet to be verified.
The Arab sources reported Israeli armor moving into the evacuated area, which Palestinian terrorists were using to fire rockets at Israeli towns and cities. “IDF tanks and military vehicles rolled into eastern Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip on Monday afternoon, Israeli media reported, citing Palestinian news outlets,” the Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday. “The IDF also said terror activities and rocket fire had been carried out towards Israel from the area.”
Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet on Monday busted a Hamas terror cell plotting to kidnap Israeli civilians in the Judea and Samaria region. The nabbed terrorists also planned to carry out attacks on Israeli security services, news reports say.
The YNET reported:
Israeli security forces on Monday thwarted a kidnapping plot by a Hamas terror cell from the Aqabat Jaber refugee camp near Jericho in the West Bank.Authorities arrested Mohammad Tariq, 19, and Amin Kattash, 20. Palestinian security forces detained another cell member. According to their interrogation, the suspects had acquired weapons, recruited operatives and planned to kidnap Israelis. They also intended to carry out shooting and bombing attacks against Israeli forces.Investigators discovered that the cell had dug a pit to hide the hostages, with the entrance camouflaged near the home of one of the cell members. During the investigation, authorities seized a Carlo submachine gun, an explosive device, a vest, communication devices and military uniforms.
The IDF on Tuesday released footage showing armed Palestinian terrorists hijacking an aid truck containing supplies for civilians in Rafah.
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