250 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters surrendered to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers during its ongoing raid of houses in Khan Yunis, The Times of Israel reported Wednesday.
Israeli commandos with the assistance of Shin Bet and naval forces captured the terror operatives in the Hamad neighborhood of southern Khan Yunis known for its high-rise towers, the outlet reported.
A Hamas sniper unit commander alongside two other commanders were particularly noteworthy persons who were captured by the IDF, Emanuel Fabian, a Times of Israel military correspondent, said in a tweet. “The IDF says the troops also seized firearms, explosives, and military equipment, including scuba gear, in the buildings” Fabian added.
The IDF says troops have captured hundreds of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives during its ongoing raid on the Hamad Town residential complex in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis.
The Commando Brigade’s Maglan and Egoz units, along with the Navy’s Shayetet 13 and Shin Bet… pic.twitter.com/vIkK710wO3
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 6, 2024
The IDF said that they also captured Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives who attempted to flee alongside civilians. Some of those who were caught were participants in the Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel that sparked the current war, the IDF said, according to Fabian.
Other terrorists who were captured were members of the elite Nukhba force that carried out the Oct. 7 invasion, Fabian reported.
“The IDF says the interrogations of the operatives provides helpful information for its continued operations in Gaza,” Fabian added in his tweet. (RELATED: Biden Admin Edited Harsher Language Out Of Kamala Harris’ ‘Immediate Ceasefire’ Speech Before Delivery: REPORT)
Khan Yunis has been the epicenter of intense fighting between the IDF and Hamas for many months. The city contained the training grounds used for the Oct. 7 attacks. Underneath the city is a vast tunnel complex that the IDF says may contain the hiding place of Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza. The IDF even released footage from Oct. 10 that appears to show the Hamas leader wandering around in the Khan Yunis tunnel system. The IDF and U.S. intelligence told The Jerusalem Post that the issue was not so much locating Sinwar but whether killing him could threaten the lives of hostages that he is using as human shields.