While the situation continues, Israeli forces carry out strikes against Hamas strongholds situated within the heartland of the Gaza Strip.
[Based on new developments below:]
On May 8, Israeli forces intensified their operations against Hamas, urging tens of thousands of civilians to evacuate certain districts of Rafah and executing further assaults on Hamas infrastructure in the vicinity of the Rafah Crossing. According to an official statement from the IDF, “the forces initiated targeted raids on the terrorist infrastructure encircling the Gaza side of the Rafah Crossing and carried out operations on suspicious buildings in the area from where Hamas terrorists launched assaults on our troops.” Around 30 militants were reportedly slain during these actions.
Moreover, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 12 assaults in the region on May 8, marking a substantial surge in activity attributed to Israel’s military action against Rafah. Hezbollah aims to keep the frontline busy to divert resources and manpower while supporting Hamas in this conflict.
As per our intelligence, Hezbollah’s behavior does not appear likely to change until Israel achieves its objectives in Gaza, secures the southern regions, or redirects its focus towards the northern frontier.
Additionally, according to reports, Palestinian militants carried out four indirect fire assaults directed at Israeli soldiers stationed close to the Netzarim corridor, located in the central Gaza Strip, on May 8. Six diverse Palestinian factions have consistently executed indirect fire assaults targeting Israeli soldiers deployed along this corridor since April 28. Israeli army personnel have set up advanced observation points along this corridor to prepare for future operations in the region.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has delivered powerful 2,000-pound bombs, supplied by the United States, to strike Hamas’ concealed tunnels in Gaza. Nonetheless, the US has temporarily halted the delivery of 1,800 such bombs, together with 1,700 500-pound bombs, owing to Israel’s impending plan to assault the southern Gaza city of Rafah aimed at obliterating Hamas’ final elements.
On May 8, unidentified assailants opened fire on trucks transporting Palestinian laborers en route to the Kerem Shalom checkpoint. The IDF stated that the incident injured multiple laborers, and the IDF is currently investigating the attack. However, Palestinian sources claim that the IDF was accountable for the attack, alleging that the laborers facilitated the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip.
Hamas’ combatants executed two indirect fire attacks from Gaza into Israel on May 8, marking the third such occurrence since May 5, when Hamas’ combatants fired eight rockets at Israeli forces positioned near Kerem Shalom. Israeli authorities have asserted that rocket and mortar attacks directed at the Kerem Shalom zone impede the entry of humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip. Additionally, the Israeli Air Force bombarded rocket launchers in Rafah utilized by Hamas’ combatants.
Lastly, Israeli troops carried out four hostile raids in the neighborhood of Al-Masra in Gaza City on May 8, immediately prior to the writing of this report.
[Source: Various news sources.]
Leave a Reply