Katz visits Rafah as IDF hits rocket cell, Hamas killers

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz visited Rafah in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, accompanied by Israel Defense Forces OC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor and Gaza Division Commander Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram, as part of “Operation Gideon’s Chariot.”

During the visit, Katz met with brigade and reserve battalion commanders in the field, holding an open discussion about the ongoing challenges they faced in Gaza.

Katz praised the dedication and resolve of the commanders and soldiers, describing them as “heroic” and emphasizing their unwavering commitment to defending Israel. “There is no other army like this in the world,” Katz stated, calling on the public to embrace the troops and take pride in their efforts. The visit comes as Israeli forces continue their operations in the southern Gaza Strip.

IDF eliminates terror cell that launched rockets at Sderot, Ibim

On Wednesday, the Israeli Air Force eliminated a terrorist cell shortly after they launched rockets from the northern Gaza Strip toward the border communities of Sderot and Ibim. The two projectiles were intercepted, and there were no reports of injuries or damage.

Israeli troops continue to eliminate terrorists and dismantle terrorist infrastructure, weapons and underground routes in the northern part of the coastal enclave. Over the past 24 hours, soldiers struck an operational tunnel shaft and several “military” structures used by terror groups, according to the IDF.

In addition, the Nahal Brigade began operating in the northern Strip.

In southern Gaza, IDF troops confiscated weapons in the Khan Yunis area, and in the Rafah area troops dismantled dozens of terror infrastructure sites and weapons.

Over the past 24 hours, the IAF struck 150 targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including terrorists, underground routes, military structures, weapons, sniper posts and additional terrorist infrastructure sites.

IAF eliminates terrorists responsible for death of 7 soldiers

On June 26, an Israeli aerial attack eliminated two Hamas terrorists in the Khan Yunis area who had taken part in the killing of seven IDF soldiers in the southern Gaza city two days prior.

The terrorists were identified as Musab Yaser Abdallah Jilban and Abd al-Latif Musa Hajjaj Barbah.

The fallen soldiers were identified as Lt. Matan Shai Yashinovski, 21, from Kfar Yona; Staff Sgt. Ronel Ben-Moshe, 20, from Rehovot; Staff Sgt. Niv Radia, 20, from Elyakhin; Sgt. Ronen Shapiro, 19, from Mazkeret Batya; Sgt. Shahar Manoav, 21, from Ashkelon; Sgt. Maayan Baruch Pearlstein, 20, from Eshhar; and Staff Sgt. Alon Davidov, 21, from Kiryat Yam.

They all served in the IDF’s 605th Combat Engineering Battalion.

The IDF is continuing to press ahead with ground operations across Gaza as part of “Operation Gideon’s Chariot,” a campaign with the stated goal of dismantling Hamas’s remaining military capabilities, taking control of key areas in Gaza, and securing the release of the remaining 50 captives.