Israel’s Precise Counterterrorism Operation Targeting Hamas in Rafah Amid US Warning

In response to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Rafah, Israel’s military has released footage of a precise counterterrorism operation being carried out in the region. This operation, which began simultaneously with targeted raids on Gazan territory, is aimed at eliminating Hamas terrorists and destroying underground infrastructure. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have already admitted to conducting over 100 air strikes across Gaza in recent days, and have now moved their ground operations deeper into Palestinian territory. In a statement, the IDF revealed that during several encounters over the past day, they had eliminated terrorists and located numerous terrorist infrastructure sites, as well as underground shafts in several locations in the eastern Rafah area. They have since begun the process of dismantling this infrastructure. The operation comes just one day after US President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to proceed with the attack on Rafah, citing concerns for the safety of the more than 1.5 million Palestinians currently residing in the area. Biden’s opposition to the operation has prompted the US administration to pause the delivery of certain types of precision bombs to Israel. This decision follows overnight reports that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant informed US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that Israel had no other option but to move ahead with the Rafah assault after Hamas terrorists launched a lethal rocket attack from Rafah earlier in the day that resulted in the deaths of four Israeli soldiers.