Hamas Stronghold in Khan Yunis Destroyed, Dozens of Terrorists Killed in Ambushes

Jerusalem, 5 February, 2024 (TPS) -- The Israeli military continued to press its offensive in Khan Yunis, killing dozens of Hamas terrorists who tried to ambush soldiers in Khan Yunis in the past 24 hours, the Israel Defenses Forces said on Monday. This came on the heels of Sunday night’s announcement that the IDF destroyed the headquarters of Hamas’s Khan Yunis Brigade.

Khan Yunis, Gaza’s second-largest city, is regarded as a personal stronghold of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

On Sunday evening, the military said forces from the Givati Brigade conducted a targeted raid on the “Al-Qadsia” compound, which serves as the main base of the Khan Yunis Brigade. The office of Mohammad Sinwar – the brother of Yahya Sinwar – was located at the compound. Soldiers entering the area found that the compound was extensively booby-trapped with explosives. Combat engineers neutralized the explosives.

The IDF said the “Al-Qadsia” compound served as a training facility for terrorists who participated in the October 7 massacre of Israelis. It included models simulating entrance gates of Israeli kibbutzim, military bases and IDF armored vehicles.

Soldiers also breached the central war room of the Khan Yunis Brigade and the offices of its senior officers. Additionally, the base contained rocket storage facilities and tunnel shafts leading to underground tunnel routes.

A workshop for manufacturing weapons and tunnel infrastructure was found, along with many weapons, including anti-tank missiles, RPGs, light machine guns, explosives, grenades, ammunition and more.

Also in Khan Yunis, an Israeli fighter jet struck a Hamas terror cell inside a structure preparing to attack soldiers with explosives.

Separately, a terrorist carrying explosive devices near IDF troops was identified and struck by an aircraft. Secondary explosions were seen, indicating explosive devices in his possession.

In western Khan Yunis, Israeli forces troops continue to kill terror operatives in battles and conduct targeted raids on terrorist targets. Soldiers killed dozens of terrorists who tried to ambush the troops throughout the city.

In one raid directed by intelligence, soldiers killed 10 terrorists using close-range fire and aerial support. Afterward, the forces found AK-47 rifles, sniper rifles, grenades, and ammunition.

At least 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on Oct. 7. The number of men, women, children and soldiers held captive in Gaza by Hamas is now believed to be 136.