IDF Captures Key Hamas Posts
Over the weekend, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had managed to capture key Hamas posts in Gaza, killing over 150 terrorists in the process. The report came amid an intense battle near AI Shifa Hospital. The Israeli army is convinced that Hamas’ headquarters are located under the healthcare facility.
The Associated Press has reported that Gazans living close to AI Shifa are already fleeing the area to the south. Moreover, Shifa employees are reported to have started evacuating the place following IDF’s orders. According to Gaza’s Healthy Ministry, Shifa currently hosts over 2,400 patients.
“Our Troops Didn’t Cause Shifa Blast,” IDF Insists
IDF has continued to insist that the blast at the hospital, which killed over ten people last month, was caused by a Gaza-based terror group. Hamas has been blaming Israel for the deadly airstrike. Avichay Adree, the IDF’s Arabic spokesman, told the press yesterday that the Shifa explosion was a result of an errant missile directed at Israeli soldiers who were working near the healthcare facility.
Among the Hamas posts that the IDF has raided is “Bader,” located near civilian homes. The Israeli army said it destroyed all the rocket launching areas at this site. In addition, the IDF destroyed a weapons production plant.
The IDF soldiers also raided Blue Beach Resort, where they killed 30 Hamas terrorists who are believed to have been launching anti-tank missiles at the Israeli troops. The IDF said it discovered that the terrorists were using the hotel rooms to hide from the soldiers and plan attacks. Most of the 150 killed terrorists were eliminated during the heavy fights in AI-Shati.
IDF to Target More Posts
Since the war began, the IDF has reported striking over 15,000 Hamas posts, destroying 5,500 weapons, including anti-tank missiles, rockets, explosive devices, anti-aircraft missiles, and firearms. The Israeli army says it will continue to target more posts belonging to Hamas.
Most of these posts are in northern Gaza. To ensure civilians are not harmed during the operation, the IDF has ordered them to move to the south. However, a video shared by the Association of Hospitals in Gaza on Saturday showed Hamas fighters shooting at civilians who were leaving AI-Nasr Hospital, as they plan to use them as human shields.
