Some 40 days after the Israeli army entered Rafah, the IDF believes it has operational control of over 60 to 70% of the city and severe damage to two of the four Hamas battalions in the area. As of Monday, operational control has been established in the Shabura, Brazil, and Tel Sultan neighborhoods, as well as the Philadelphi axis on the border with Egypt. However, these operational achievements come at a price: Since the beginning of the fighting in the area, 22 soldiers have been killed in combat, eight of them on the previous Saturday in the disaster in the Tel Sultan neighborhood.
So far, approximately 550 enemy combatants have been eliminated in Rafah, with the estimate being that the actual number is higher. However, some terrorists managed to flee the area when the Israeli army entered. The 162nd Brigade, which has carried out the attack on Rafah, reports finding hundreds of long-range rockets in the Philadelphia route that were aimed at Israeli territory, Tel Aviv, Ashdod, and other locations. Additionally, more than 200 shafts and at least 25 long underground routes reaching the Egyptian border were discovered. In light of these findings, they are now examining whether these routes cross the border.
The Israeli army reports on simultaneous maneuvers above and below ground, stating that in the MPK neighborhood of Rafah, considered the "mother of tunnels" – the place where the concept of tunnels originated – the most complex underground compound in the Gaza Strip was found. This compound is much larger than the underground compounds found in Khan Younis or the compound of Ghandour in Gaza City. The tunnels in the area, according to the army, are at varying depths levels, and include numerous blast doors.
At the site, numerous combat means, weapons, suicide vests, RPG launchers, mortar production workshops, and more were uncovered. While in other parts of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army encountered booby-trapped houses, in Rafah, the forces report entire booby-trapped neighborhoods, cameras in every alley and almost every room, and numerous means that allowed combatants to attempt to harm the troops.
Senior officers in the Israeli army report significant progress in the decisive battle for Rafah, and the conventional wisdom is that the operation in the area will continue for "several more weeks," although in recent days, it was reported that the army estimates the operation in Rafah will be completed by the end of the month. According to estimates, two of the four Hamas battalions in Rafah are on the verge of being decisively defeated, and the remaining two will be decisively defeated soon. The decisive defeat of a battalion includes not only the elimination of combatants but also the seizure of Hamas assets, such as combat equipment, workshops, underground infrastructure, and more.
Footage, released by Hamas, of a Hamas terrorist using a civilian area as a launching point.
Here is the criteria for Hamas' rocket launching points: Anywhere. Areas with civilians preferred. pic.twitter.com/qK718i7qBB
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 15, 2024
The army notes that during the operation in Rafah, locations where captives were held were found, and intelligence related to captives was also uncovered. However, the possibility that combatants managed to smuggle captives out of Rafah before the arrival of the forces cannot be ruled out.
