September 13 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Israeli army said on Thursday that it had “dismantled” the Hamas brigade operating in the city of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, after having eliminated some 2,000 “terrorists” during three months of operations.
“Forces of the 162nd Division have been operating in the Rafah area for approximately three months. So far, the division’s forces have eliminated more than 2,000 terrorists and destroyed some thirteen kilometers of underground tunnels. The division’s forces have dismantled the Hamas brigade in Rafah,” reads a statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted on its website.
They also highlighted the elimination of more than 250 militants during a series of battles that have taken place in recent weeks in the Tel Sultan neighborhood, including the commander of the battalion with the same name, whom they have identified as Mahmud Hamdan, as well as most of the battalion’s chain of command.
They also reported the destruction of 80 percent of the tunnels located both under and near the Philadelphia Corridor. IDF engineers continue to “locate and destroy underground routes and terrorist infrastructure in the area.”
The report comes nearly a month after Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the Hamas brigade in Rafah could now be considered eliminated. Israeli forces launched the offensive on Rafah in early May despite international pressure to prevent an assault on one of the most heavily populated areas since the military offensive began in October.
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