More than two years after the outbreak of the war, Israel Defense Forces troops uncovered a large cache of weapons in southern Gaza, including several rockets and about 110 mortar shells, in an area under Israeli military control east of the Yellow Line, the IDF said Tuesday.
According to the military, the weapons were hidden inside UNRWA humanitarian aid bags and wrapped in blankets. The cache was discovered during operations by the IDF’s 7th Brigade, operating under the Gaza Division, as part of ongoing efforts to clear the area of tunnels and weapons.
Footage from the caches that were uncovered
(Video: IDF)
The discovery followed the interrogation of suspects who had entered the Yellow Line area, the IDF said. Footage released by the military showed the weapons and their subsequent destruction.
The announcement came days after the IDF carried out airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza in response to cease-fire violations by the terrorist organization.
In a statement, the IDF said it and the Shin Bet targeted Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist commanders and infrastructure across the Gaza Strip. According to the statement, four commanders and additional terrorists were struck overnight, along with a weapons storage facility, a weapons production site and two Hamas launch infrastructures in central Gaza.
“The terrorist organizations in Gaza systematically violate international law while cruelly exploiting civilian institutions and operating among the civilian population,” the statement said. “The IDF and Shin Bet view any breach of the agreement with severity and will continue to act against any attempt by terrorist organizations in Gaza to carry out attacks against IDF forces and Israeli civilians.”
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said 29 were killed in Israeli strikes over the weekend.
Despite Hamas violations of the agreement, the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened earlier this week in both directions, after being closed for most of the war. As part of the implementation of the second phase of the agreement, about 150 people are expected to exit Gaza to Egypt daily, while 50 are expected to enter Gaza from Egypt.