Israeli forces encircle Rafah, IDF intercepts 3 rockets fired from southern Gaza

The Israeli military has encircled the strategically important southern Gazan border town Rafah, the IDF confirmed in an official statement. 

"The IDF will continue to solidify its control on the main passageway and take action to thwart terror activity," the military stated. 

The IDF has completed its deployment along the so-called Morag Corridor in Gaza, which effectively cuts southern Gaza from the rest of the coastal enclave.

In addition, Israeli forces are also controlling the Philadelphi Corridor, which separates southern Gaza from Egyptian.

By controlling both these corridors, the IDF seeks to encircle and isolate southern Gaza where much of Hamas’s remaining operatives are believed to be located. The IDF says it has killed dozens of Hamas operatives in recent days of fighting including senior terrorist commanders. 

Meanwhile, Israeli aerial defenses successfully intercepted three rockets that were launched by terrorists in southern Gaza against Israeli border communities. There were no reported Israeli injuries or material damage from the Gazan rockets. 

Earlier this week Hamas terrorists fired 10 rockets at the southern Israeli coastal city Ashkelon in the largest barrage of Gazan rockets against Israel in several months. 

“Following the sirens that sounded at 21:01-21:02 in the Lakhish area, approximately ten projectiles were identified crossing into Israeli territory from central Gaza,” the IDF said in an official statement. 

“Approximately five projectiles were successfully intercepted by the IAF [Israeli Air Force]. Falls were identified in several areas. IDF Home Front Command soldiers are dispatched to the scenes and are operating in cooperation with Israeli security forces,” the military added. The Gazan rocket barrage did not cause any human casualties or material damage in Israel. By contrast, Hamas fired some 4000 rockets against Israel during its unprecedented attack on the Jewish state on October 7, 2023. The Israeli military has assessed that the large majority of Hamas’s original rocket stockpile is depleted after over 18 months of war with Israel. 

While Israel has largely neutralized the once serious Hamas rocket threat, the terror group keeps occasionally firing smaller number of rockets, likely to project that it still retains some capabilities. 

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz urged Gaza’s population to end the war by removing the terrorist organization Hamas from power and releasing the remaining 59 Israeli hostages. 

“It is time to stand up and remove Hamas and release all the Israeli hostages. This is the only way to end the war,” he stressed, adding that  “those interested will also be able to voluntarily move to various countries around the world, in accordance with the vision of the US president, which we are working to carry out.”

The defense minister warned that the Israeli military’s operations against Hamas would expand to most parts of Gaza. 

“Intensive IDF activity will soon expand to additional places in most of Gaza, and you will have to evacuate the combat zones,” he assessed. 

Katz told Gaza’s civilians that Hamas leaders are not concerned about their well-being.  

“Hamas is unable to protect the residents or the territory. Hamas leaders are hiding in tunnels with their families and in luxury hotels abroad with billions in their bank accounts and are using you as hostages,” he said. 

A senior Hamas official told the news outlet AFP that the terror group would dispatch a delegation to Cairo for talks concerning a new ceasefire agreement. 

"We hope the meeting will achieve real progress towards reaching an agreement to end the war, halt the aggression and ensure the full withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza," the Hamas official stated.