The Israel Defense Forces’ recent decision to re-enter Khan Yunis in southern Gaza was driven by new intelligence on the existence of undiscovered Hamas tunnels in the area, an uptick in rocket attacks from the city and attempts by the terrorist group to reorganize there.
Signs pointed to the presence of Hamas infrastructure and renewed attempts to build weapons in the area, despite quickly dwindling supplies of raw materials due to Israel’s control of the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Sinai, a main smuggling route.
Israel’s control of the corridor and demolition of tens of smuggling tunnels under it has severely impacted Hamas’s ability to resupply, forcing it to improvise.
However, recent intelligence revealed a series of tunnels that had not been destroyed during the IDF’s last operation in Khan Yunis, which was led by Division 98 from December to April.
The tunnels are embedded within civilian areas, so the IDF has called on noncombatants to temporarily evacuate the eastern part of the humanitarian area in Gaza and adjust the borders of the Al Mawasi humanitarian zone.
The IDF informed Gaza residents on Monday that it was about to enter the city, and called on the remaining population of eastern Khan Yunis to move to the newly adjusted humanitarian zone, using text messages, phone calls and Arabic-language media broadcasts.
Since the IDF’s withdrawal from the area in April, Hamas has been working to reconstruct munitions production centers in the area and reestablish its operational capabilities.
With an increase in rocket attacks from the area, the IDF began operating over and below ground simultaneously later on Monday. Over 30 Hamas infrastructure targets were hit in Khan Yunis on Monday, including a weapons storage site, observation posts, tunnel shafts and buildings used by the terrorist group. By Tuesday morning, a further 20 terror targets had been hit.
The IDF is meanwhile continuing its operations in Rafah on the Gaza-Egypt border, targeting terrorists and infrastructure through aerial strikes and close-quarters combat. The operations have resulted in the elimination of dozens of terrorists, significantly disrupting Hamas’s activities in the region.
The IDF’s return to Khan Yunis is a reminder that Hamas will attempt to fill any vacuum left by Israeli forces.
Hamas’s remaining tunnel network and persistent efforts to rebuild its capabilities will require many more months, if not years, of IDF activity in Gaza.
These operations are expected to continue throughout the third stage of Israel’s operations in Gaza, marked by smaller targeted operations fueled by precise intelligence.
As the Israel Security Agency and IDF Military Intelligence continuously improve their grasp of Gaza, creating real-time intelligence that drives operations, Israel’s ability to stop Hamas from rebuilding its terror army is improving by the week.
Israeli control over strategic areas like the Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Corridor, which divides northern from southern Gaza, remains crucial to prevent Hamas from rebuilding its capabilities and crippling its operational freedom.
It is for this reason the terrorist group has been demanding a full Israeli withdrawal as part of any ceasefire deal.
Hamas’s waning power in Gaza could also have a knock-on effect on its power in Judea and Samaria, which it has been trying to build up for years.
Overnight Tuesday, the IDF, ISA and Border Police conducted a counterterrorism operation in the Tulkarem area, part of a series of over 50 such operations in the area since the beginning of the war.
Among those eliminated was Ashraf Nafa, the head of the Hamas branch in the Tulkarem area, the IDF said. Ashraf was responsible for manufacturing and embedding explosives, and recruiting new operatives into the Hamas organization, according to the military.
As in Judea and Samaria, where decades of IDF activity have prevented the rise of a full-blown Hamas terror army, invasion force and rocket arsenal, a similar level of long-term dedication will be necessary in Gaza to prevent Hamas from retaking the Strip in the years ahead.
