IDF Strikes Six Terrorists in Rafah as Nahal Brigade Expands Operations

The IDF said this afternoon that its forces struck six terrorists in eastern Rafah earlier in the day after they were spotted emerging from an underground route, as the Nachal Brigade continued intensive operations across the sector.

According to the military, the morning strike targeted a group of terrorists identified by IDF surveillance operating near an underground terror infrastructure. “The pursuit of the terrorists in Rafah continues: six terrorists were identified and struck in the area of the underground terror infrastructure,” the IDF said. Troops on the ground guided an air force aircraft that “struck the terrorists as they attempted to flee. A hit was identified.”

The incident marked the latest development in a wider push in eastern Rafah, where IDF units have been operating for days against Hamas tunnel systems and trapped terrorists attempting to escape the area. 

Following the initial air strike, forces conducted a search in one of the damaged buildings in the strike zone. Inside, troops found one terrorist who had been killed in the air strike and encountered three additional armed terrorists at close range. “The forces fired at them at close range and eliminated them,” the IDF said. Two more terrorists inside the building were arrested.

The IDF noted that although forces are deployed “in accordance with the agreement,” the sweep of the damaged structure occurred after the air force strike and required rapid entry by the brigade’s combat team. The scan was carried out to ensure no additional threats remained inside.

The army released updated figures from the past week, reporting that its forces in eastern Rafah “eliminated more than 20 terrorists and arrested eight others” who attempted to escape through tunnel infrastructure in the area. According to the IDF, many of those arrested were caught trying to flee the underground network as troops advanced.

Southern Command forces remain deployed throughout the sector. “IDF forces under Southern Command are deployed in the area in accordance with the agreement and will continue operating to remove any immediate threat,” the military said, adding that operations in Rafah remain high-intensity as troops continue clearing tunnel routes and searching for terrorists.