IDF: 1,500 Hamas terrorists killed inside Israel
Intro: Israeli forces have “more or less” regained control over the Gaza border, says IDF spokesman.
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Some 1,500 Palestinian terrorists have been killed in Israeli territory since Hamas launched its cross-border assault on Oct. 7, the Israel Defense Forces revealed on Tuesday morning.
IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht added that security forces had “more or less” regained control over the Gaza border.
No Palestinian terrorists have crossed into Israel from Gaza since Monday night, said Hecht, who nevertheless warned of possible future infiltrations.
He also urged Gazans to leave the Strip immediately amid the intensifying war with Hamas.
“The Rafah crossing [with Egypt] is still open. Anyone who can get out, I would advise them to do so,” said Hecht.
However, The IDF subsequently issued a revised directive.
“Clarification: The Rafah crossing was open yesterday, but now it is closed.”
“In recent days, the IDF has been instructing the population inside of the Gaza Strip to distance themselves from designated areas. We emphasize that there is no official call by Israel for residents of the Gaza Strip to exit into Egypt,” the IDF said.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that operations at Rafah have been disrupted by the ongoing conflict.
The IDF continued to pound Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, as the war sparked by the Palestinian terrorist group’s brutal attack on the Jewish state entered its fourth day.
The military said it struck the shaft of an underground tunnel and other assets used by Hamas to penetrate Israeli territory on Saturday and indiscriminately butcher at least 900 Israeli men, women and children.
Israeli Air Force fighter jets also struck a mosque containing a Hamas operations and command center used to coordinate this weekend’s Iran-backed attack, in addition to “widespread” strikes against weapons depots and other terror infrastructure.
Israeli forces on Monday regained control of all the communities near the Gaza Strip after two days of fighting, according to IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. He warned, however, that there were still terrorists in the area, and Israel remains concerned over possible infiltration attempts via tunnels emanating in Gaza.
Hagari added that the military had called up 300,000 reservists during the past 48 hours.
On Tuesday, Hagari said the military had regained control of the Gaza border, after Palestinian terrorists blew up sections of the security fence during the invasion Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, the Israel Police released video footage showing the moment Border Police officers engaged Palestinian terrorists in Kibbutz Nir Am on Saturday.
“Under heavy fire and while eliminating many terrorists in the area, the fighters of the undercover unit of the tactical brigade rescued the wounded soldiers and took them to receive medical treatment,” said the police.
