‘Hamas Rafah Brigade has been defeated’, Gallant Says
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced the defeat of Hamas’ Rafah Brigade during his visit to troops stationed along the Egypt-Gaza Strip border, emphasizing the destruction of over 150 tunnels.
Minister Gallant carried out an operational assessment with senior IDF officials along the Philadelphi Corridor, receiving updates on the operations that resulted in the defeat of the Rafah division.
Gallant praised his troops, saying, “I came here to express great appreciation. The 162nd Division and its brigades fight like lions. The enemy’s Rafah Brigade was defeated by the 162nd Division.”
He directed the forces to focus in the coming period on completely destroying the remaining tunnels.
“Out of the 150 tunnels that were destroyed, around 100 are actually trenches dug with engineering tools above ground and then covered with a meter or two of dirt,” Gallant explained.
“I gave an immediate directive to the IDF to destroy the remaining tunnels. It is critical to remember the goals of the war and to achieve them – regarding Hamas, regarding the hostages held by Hamas, and we also understand why we are looking toward the north,” Gallant said.
The Philadelphi Route is a major sticking point in negotiations for a cease-fire or hostage deal with Hamas. Israel wants to maintain a military presence there, but both Hamas and Egypt are against this. Despite Israel’s willingness to reduce its troop numbers, Egypt is demanding a complete withdrawal and has refused to relay Israel’s stance on the matter to Hamas.
Approximately three months ago, the IDF declared it had taken operational control of the Philadelphi Corridor, identifying at that time 200 tunnel shafts and 35 tunnels, some extending into Egypt.
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