IDF forces, with the support of the Israel Air Force, have been operating intensively in recent days in the Rafah area of southern Gaza. According to a Reuters report, forces are destroying buildings in the effort to increase pressure on the Hamas terror organization, still holding 59 Israeli hostages.
A Gaza resident told Reuters that the massive explosions can be heard even inside Egyptian territory. Reports indicate that Israel is flattening infrastructure buildings used for weapons smuggling, arms storage, and staging terror operations. Rafah, which has become a major Hamas stronghold, is under a continuous and intense assault.
Humanitarian Aid Not Entering
Since the collapse of the ceasefire in early March, Israel has resumed fighting and imposed a total siege on the Gaza Strip. The move is intended to prevent Hamas from exploiting humanitarian aid to rearm. The IDF notes that during the ceasefire, extensive aid flowed into Gaza, and that now further risk must be prevented.
Alongside the fighting, the IDF is working to establish a “humanitarian zone” under military supervision, aimed at moving civilians away from combat zones and ensuring safer living conditions. Israel emphasizes that full responsibility for the civilian situation in Gaza lies with Hamas, which continues to use the population as human shields.
Firepower Reinforcement: Artillery Batteries Enter the Fight
Meanwhile, the IDF Spokesperson announced that artillery batteries from the 282nd Brigade, under the command of the 36th Division, have begun operating inside the Strip for the first time since the start of the Swords of Iron war. Since launching operations, the forces have fired more than 5,000 shells at terror targets in the new Morag Corridor, destroying warehouses, launch sites, and enemy fighters.
During the operation, the IDF also made its first operational use of the “Bar” rocket – a precise and rapid rocket designed to strike targets under complex battlefield conditions. The IDF stresses that operations will continue until the dismantling of Hamas’ terror infrastructure in Gaza is complete.
