Israeli Armed Forces Announce End of Operations in Northern Gaza
JERUSALEM—Israeli forces have concluded their operations in the Jabalia area of north Gaza after several days of intense fighting and over 200 airstrikes. They are now moving further into Rafah in south Gaza, targeting what they claim is the last major stronghold of Hamas terrorists.
The Israeli military reported on Friday that troops found caches of rocket launchers and other weapons, along with Hamas tunnel entrances in the central part of Rafah. This offensive is aimed at dismantling terrorist units that are believed to be hiding in the city on the border with Egypt.
An update on the intense fighting in Jabalia revealed that Israeli troops have completed their mission and pulled back to prepare for future operations in Gaza.
During the operation, seven of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led terrorists during their incursion into Israel on Oct. 7 last year were recovered by Israeli forces. The total death toll from the incident reached around 1,200 individuals, as per Israeli reports.
While the Hamas-run health ministry claims that over 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s war in Gaza, they do not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
A senior Israeli security official stated on Friday that Israel will not agree to any ceasefire unless it includes the return of surviving hostages. Hamas had expressed readiness for a possible agreement, including a hostage-prisoner exchange, if Israel ends the conflict.
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In Jabalia, Hamas transformed the civilian neighborhoods into military strongholds, according to the Israeli military.
The military reported that hundreds of terrorists were killed in close combat situations, and significant amounts of weapons were seized and destroyed, including rocket launchers.
Israeli forces also disabled an extensive tunnel network filled with weapons that extended over 10 km and eliminated Hamas’s district battalion leader, the statement added.
Israel attributes the high civilian casualties in the conflict to Hamas’s strategy of embedding combatants in residential areas. Hamas denies using civilians as shields.
Jabalia has faced continual heavy combat, highlighting Israel’s challenges in dismantling Hamas units.
Earlier in the campaign, the military claimed to have neutralized all Hamas commanders and combat formations in the area. However, the fighting in Jabalia persisted for weeks.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel to devise a post-war plan for Gaza to prevent future instability and a potential resurgence of Hamas.
Rafah Fighting
Israeli tanks entered the heart of Rafah on Tuesday as part of operations around the area, a key battleground in the Gaza conflict.
The army uncovered long-range rockets, rocket-propelled grenades, explosives, and ammunition during ongoing intelligence-based operations in Rafah, which borders Egypt.
Hamas resumed rocket attacks on Tel Aviv after a hiatus.
Israeli soldiers faced mortar bomb attacks from Islamic Jihad on Friday as they approached the Salah al-Din Gate area in Rafah. Details were scarce.
Rafah, the last major Gaza city not under Israeli control, had served as a refuge for over a million displaced Palestinians. Most residents have evacuated following Israeli warnings.
International outcry and warnings, including from the U.S., cautioned Israel against attacking Rafah while it was still housing displaced individuals.
The prolonged conflict and destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure have raised concerns about a potential famine, as warned by the United Nations.
