The IDF is currently assessing whether high-ranking Hamas officials, including the Zeitoun Battalion commander and naval forces chief, were eliminated in a wave of strikes launched late yesterday. The Times of Israel reports that the strikes were in response to repeated Yellow Line violations by Hamas. The latest incident was on Wednesday when Hamas terror operatives fired at IDF troops after crossing the Yellow Line in southern Khan Younis –no IDF soldiers were wounded or killed.
Also on Wednesday, the IDF said it killed a terror operative who crossed the Yellow Line in northern Gaza. The military said several operatives had been spotted crossing the line and approaching reservists of the Carmeli Brigade deployed to the area.
The operatives “posed an immediate threat” to the troops, who then opened fire and “eliminated a terrorist to remove the threat,” the military said. The other operatives apparently managed to flee.
The Trump administration appeared to side with Israel after the deadly exchange of fire on Wednesday.
“After the United Nations overwhelmingly endorsed President Trump’s 20 Point Peace Plan, Hamas is clearly lashing out and is now attempting to break the ceasefire and not fulfil their commitment to demilitarize and surrender control of the Gaza government. These desperate tactics will fail,” a US official told The Times of Israel in a statement.
In the six weeks of incidents during the ceasefire, three IDF soldiers have been killed. The report also reiterates the need for and how exactly Hamas is expected to be disarmed once the remaining three hostages who were murdered in captivity are returned, something that the terror group has been intentionally slowing.
An international police force is being explored by certain countries to help demilitarize Gaza after over two years of war. The EU has already begun financing police training missions in the West Bank. There is truly a great need for this, as it’s been reported that Hamas has been reasserting control over parts of Gaza.
The stability of the ceasefire that saw the last of the living hostages released seems to be more upended each week. However, there are reports that search efforts for one of the three remaining hostages are currently underway, and aspects of the second phase of the ceasefire are being discussed. The Fellowship and our supporters pray that those families may finally find closure and that Gaza may finally move beyond war and terror.
