An Israeli army colonel, Yair Tzukerman, has admitted that Israeli forces are facing significant challenges in Rafah, as reported by the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday. Tzukerman highlighted the extensive use of surveillance cameras by Hamas in Rafah to manage battles both above and below ground, noting the large number of tunnels in the city.
Tzukerman pointed out that booby-trapping houses and rooms in Rafah before the forces enter is one of the many threats the Israeli army is facing.
Last night, fierce clashes erupted in the Saudi neighborhood west of Rafah between Palestinian resistance fighters and Israeli forces attempting to penetrate the area. Israeli military vehicles attempted to enter the Saudi neighborhood and Al-Tayara Street in western Rafah under the cover of airstrikes, heavy artillery shelling, and gunfire from “Quadcopter” drones.
In a related development, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that the Israeli army intercepted an aerial target in the Hula Valley area in northern occupied territories without sounding sirens.
Since October 8, last year, the borders between the occupied territories and Lebanon have experienced intense tension and sporadic exchanges of fire between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, as well as Palestinian factions.