IDF Captures Key Hamas Commander in Rafah Tunnel Operation

JERUSALEM (VINnews)— Israeli forces captured a key commander in Hamas’s East Rafah Battalion after he attempted to flee a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces said Friday.

The commander was among eight Hamas operatives who emerged from an underground tunnel overnight, the IDF reported. Troops, supported by airstrikes, targeted the group, killing at least three of the operatives initially.

“After scans by the troops in the area, one of the terrorists was arrested while trying to flee and hide,” the military said in a statement. The IDF identified the detainee as a “key commander” in Hamas’s East Rafah Battalion.

Footage circulating online appeared to show the commander being captured by members of the anti-Hamas Abu Shabab militia, which operates in the Rafah area. Reports indicated the militia then handed him over to Israeli forces.

Troops continued searching the area to locate and eliminate the remaining gunmen, the IDF said.

The incident occurred amid ongoing Israeli operations in Gaza, where forces have targeted Hamas infrastructure, including extensive tunnel networks in Rafah. The East Rafah Battalion has been a focus of military efforts in the region.

The capture follows previous operations in which Hamas commanders and operatives were killed or detained while attempting to escape similar underground hideouts in eastern Rafah.