An optimistic scenario suggests that eliminating Hamas in Rafah will take another half a year. A pessimistic estimation says it could take up to 24 months.
IDF Claims Control of 70% of Rafah, Reports Killing 550 Terrorists
Some rises after an Israeli strike as Israeli forces launch a ground and air operation in the eastern part of Rafah, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 7, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
i24 News — A month and a half after the start of operations in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday claimed control of approximately 70 percent of the area. The Israeli military said Hamas’ operations frameworks have been disintegrated.
The Palestinian terrorist group is said to have shifted from organized and hierarchical fighting to guerrilla warfare in small squads. The Hamas’ Rafah Brigade has not been eliminated, but “it is not certain that if one gives orders, there will be anyone who receives them,” said a senior officer in the area.
The Brigade is said to count around 3,000 terrorists. From the beginning of the maneuver in Rafah, about 550 terrorist bodies were identified in the area, and many others fled north, said the military.
There are attempts by Hamas to re-establish the hierarchy and continue control of the area, with the two battalions remaining in the areas where the IDF has not yet operated.
According to officers in the area, the slow pace of fighting in Rafah is primarily explained by the amount of ammunition and explosives in the area. Furthermore, there are cases of fighters falling in the area due to building collapses after explosions.
“There are explosive materials that we have never seen before, both in quality and quantity,” admitted the 931st Battalion Commander.
Secondly, hundreds of tunnel shafts and tunnels in the area constitute another factor slowing operations. Troops reported identifying dozens of tunnels reaching the border with Egypt. The Yahalom Unit is said to be examining this issue.
Fighting in Rafah will continue for a long time while Israel is “moving to phase three” of the operation, according to the sources on the ground, saying it will take months to defeat terrorists in the area.
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