Israeli forces destroy Rafah tunnel shafts, rocket launchers

Tel Aviv: Israeli forces continued operations against Hamas in parts of Rafah and other areas of Gaza, the Israel Defence Forces said on Thursday.

Soldiers in Rafah's "Brazil" and "Shaburah" neighbourhoods located rocket launchers and tunnel shafts and killed several Hamas terrorists in face-to-face encounters.

Israeli aircraft struck and killed a three-man Hamas squad firing rockets at soldiers in the Rafah area. In northern Gaza's Jabalya area, soldiers raided Hamas buildings where arms were stored.

Weapons seized included Kalashnikov rifles, explosives, grenades, sniper weapons, cartridges, and combat equipment.

In central Gaza, an Israeli airstrike eliminated a squad of six terrorists hiding inside a building, including one who infiltrated Israel on October 7.

Another Hamas squad was killed in a separate airstrike after it was spotted entering a building.

Hamas is trying to regroup in northern and central Gaza.

Meanwhile, 27 trucks carrying humanitarian aid via an American floating pier delivered 370 pallets of food and shelter equipment.

Deliveries of the aid were suspended for two days amid Palestinian looting of the trucks. Another 281 aid trucks entered Gaza by land through the Kerem Shalom and Erez West crossings, the IDF added.

At least 1,200 people were killed and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 128 remaining hostages, some 40 are believed to be dead.

(ANI)