According to a report by The Times of Israel, a commander from Hamas’s East Rafah Battalion has been captured after attempting to flee from a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The military reported that the incident occurred overnight during operations targeting Hamas operatives in the area.
The IDF stated that the commander was among eight Hamas operatives who emerged from a tunnel in southern Gaza and were subsequently targeted in airstrikes. Earlier reports from the military indicated that at least three of the operatives were killed during the strikes.
Following the airstrikes, IDF troops conducted scans of the surrounding area. The military said that during these searches, one operative was arrested while attempting to flee and hide. The IDF identified the detainee as a key commander within Hamas’s East Rafah Battalion.
The military added that the captured individual holds a senior operational role within the battalion, which operates in the Rafah area of the southern Gaza Strip. The IDF has not released the commander’s name or further details regarding the circumstances of his arrest.
However, footage circulating online has suggested an alternative account of the capture. The video purports to show that the Hamas commander was apprehended by members of the Abu Shabab militia, an armed group opposed to Hamas that operates in the Rafah area. According to reports accompanying the footage, the militia later handed the detainee over to Israeli forces.
The IDF has not publicly addressed the claims made in the footage but has maintained that the commander was arrested following scans conducted by its troops in the area.
The military also reported that operations in the vicinity are ongoing. Troops are continuing to search the area in an effort to locate the remaining operatives who fled the tunnel. The IDF stated that these efforts are aimed at finding and eliminating the remaining gunmen involved in the incident.
The capture comes amid continued Israeli military activity in southern Gaza, with operations focused on Hamas infrastructure, including tunnel networks, and armed operatives. The IDF has repeatedly stated that its forces are conducting ground and aerial operations as part of ongoing efforts in the region.
Related video
