The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spotted (and captured) terrorists attempting to hide behind civilians as they carried out targeted raids and airstrikes across Gaza over the past 24 hours.
In western Khan Younis, IDF ground forces identified and arrested terrorists who were attempting to blend in with civilians fleeing the combat zone during evacuation efforts.
In the Abasan area of eastern Khan Younis, Israeli forces found a rocket launcher and a long-range rocket concealed within a refrigerator inside a building that served as a medical laboratory.
IDF soldiers killed two terrorists in a shootout as they emerged from a second building packed with weapons, including heavy explosives, grenades, cartridges, sniper rifles, vests and AK-47s.
Elsewhere in the enclave, the troops killed multiple gunmen and uncovered weapons caches during activities in Zeitoun and central Gaza. The IDF said the soldiers located a sniper rifle, an AK-47 assault rifle, grenades and ammunition during an operation by the Givati infantry brigade.
In a separate incident, an IDF aircraft struck down terrorists as they were operating a drone that was spotted by ground forces.
Additional airstrikes targeted Hamas’ aerial capabilities, destroying rocket launching positions aimed at Israeli territory, the IDF said. The Israeli Air Force also eliminated a terrorist cell launching drones in the Shati area of Gaza.
