Israeli troops in Rafah’s Tel al-Sultan neighborhood destroyed Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s largest underground rocket factory, the Israel Defense Forces announced.
For several years, the Iran-backed terror group produced hundreds of rockets, including long-range rockets at the facility.
Reports in 2022 estimated that Islamic Jihad had an arsenal of 8,000 rockets, including locally-made rockets and Iranian-made Fajr 5 rockets with a range of 75 km.
Also destroyed were tunnel shafts and an outpost connected to the factory.
“The destruction of the outpost and the underground production site damages the Islamic Jihad’s ability to produce and fire rockets at Israeli civilians and communities,” the IDF said.
Separately in Khan Yunis, Israel called on Gazans in the town’s eastern neighborhoods to evacuate for a designated humanitarian zone, suggesting that soldiers will return. The IDF left Khan Yunis in April. However, forces have conducted localized operations in areas of Gaza where Hamas has been trying to re-establish itself. Earlier in the day, Hamas fired 20 rockets at Israel from Khan Yunis, the largest Gazan barrage in months.
Kilometer Long Terror Tunnel Destroyed, More Than 100 Terrorists Killed
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Monday that a kilometer-long terror tunnel was destroyed and about 100 terrorists were eliminated. Also, more than 100 terrorist structures were destroyed by the IDF’s 99th Infantry Division in the central Gaza Strip.
? הושמדה מנהרה באורך קילומטר במרכז רצועת עזה, מצורפים תיעודים.
בשיתוף כוחות יחידת יהל״ם לוחמי אוגדה 99 השמידו מנהרה באורך של קילומטר. המנהרה כללה הסתעפויות אשר שימשו לתנועת אנשי חמאס במרחב. pic.twitter.com/KGeqHopptn— Asslan Khalil (@KhalilAsslan) July 1, 2024
Among these were weapons storage facilities, observation posts, rocket launch pits and underground tunnel routes.
The 99th Division is the only reserve division operating in the Gaza Strip and has been fighting for the past few months in the area of central Gaza.
The terror tunnel was destroyed in cooperation with the Yahalom (Diamind) Special Forces Engineering Unit.
The tunnel included branches that were used by terrorists to move between different locations underground. In addition, the troops operated against a booby-trapped mosque that was used as a hideout for terrorists in the area. Secondary explosions were detected after the strike, indicating the presence of large quantities of weapons stored at the site.
Israel Thwarts Largest Weapons Smuggling Attempt Since October 7
תצפיתניות מיחידה 636 זיהו הלילה שלושה חשודים שחצו את הגדר במרחב חטיבת הבקעה והעמקים. לאחר סריקות במרחב, לוחמי יחידת מתיל״ן של מג״ב איו״ש וכוחות צה״ל מגדוד 47 איתרו שלושה תיקים ובהם למעלה מ-75 אקדחים ועשרות חלקי נשקים>> pic.twitter.com/pAlZSNuuv5
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) July 1, 2024
Israeli security forces intercepted the largest number of guns being smuggled into the country from Jordan since October 7, the Israeli Police announced on Monday.
Soldiers identified three suspects crossing a border fence on Sunday night. After searching the area, three sacks containing more than 75 handguns and dozens of weapon parts were found.
Forces are continuing to search for the smugglers.
Jordan has been grappling with a concerted Iranian effort to smuggle weapons through the kingdom to PA Arab terror groups.
At the same time, Jordanian weapons smuggling has also contributed to a surge in Israeli-Arab crime.
In 2023, a record number of 244 Israeli-Arabs were murdered, more than double the 120 homicides in 2022, according to the Abraham Initiative, a non-profit organization that promotes Arab integration into Israeli society.
The spike in violence is attributed to organized crime groups fighting turf battles and trying to eliminate rivals. Arab criminal organizations have been involved in extortion, money laundering, and trafficking in weapons, drugs and women.
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 116 remaining hostages, more than 30 are believed dead.
