In the wee hours of Thursday morning, Israeli aircraft targeted a terror command and control center embedded in the central Gaza humanitarian safe zone, using IDF and Shin Bet intelligence.
The command-and-control center, located in Deir al-Balah, was operated by the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror organizations, both of which are Iranian proxies in Gaza.
The command-and-control center, considered an “immediate threat,” was used by the terrorists to plan and direct terror attacks against Israeli forces and the State of Israel.
Numerous steps were taken prior to the strike to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.
Terrorist organizations in Gaza have been consistently, systematically violating international law and operating from within civilian infrastructure.
Between October 7 and December 13, 2023, the Hamas terrorist organization had already used the “humanitarian zone” set up by the IDF for the safety of Gaza civilians as a base from which to launch more than 100 rockets at Israel. At least 116 rockets were fired at Israel from within that safe space, set up for civilians.
This past April, Israeli aircraft attacked and destroyed more rocket launchers embedded in a humanitarian zone, this one located in southern Gaza. The launchers were loaded with rockets ready to fire and were set up just 15 meters (about 50 feet) away from the closest shelter tent, again using civilians as human shields.
By mid-July, the Israeli military was forced to alter the boundaries of the Al Mawasi humanitarian zone in southern Gaza due to the repeated violations of its safety by Hamas terrorists.
Residents of certain neighborhoods in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis were also warned by the IDF to evacuate ahead of new operations aimed at eliminating terrorists and their infrastructure in the area.
The IDF said it was adjusting the boundaries of a humanitarian zone because of Hamas activity and rocket fire there. The army said the adjustment was based on intelligence indicating that Hamas embedded terrorist infrastructure in the area defined by the humanitarian area.
In early August, Israeli aircraft destroyed a Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad weapons factory embedded in a humanitarian zone in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah.
“The Hamas terrorist organization continues to deliberately embed its military assets used to carry out attacks against Israel next to humanitarian infrastructure and the civilian population inside the Gaza Strip,” the IDF said in mid-August after Hamas launched rockets at Israel from a spot adjacent to the Khan Younis humanitarian corridor.
“The IDF will continue to operate against the terrorist organizations and in defense of the State of Israel,” Israel’s military pledged this week.
