Weapons cache uncovered in Rafah
Footage from a military tactical helmet obtained by Ynet on Wednesday shows how Nahal Brigade soldiers locate a weapons cache including anti-tank missile launchers and munitions hidden under a Gaza apartment’s floor.
"I didn't believe I’d find things in the ruins of buildings we attacked before entering them until I saw it with my own eyes," one of the officers involved told Ynet. "We saw an unusual and large number of tunnels in Rafah, operated by Hamas using different techniques this time, with hidden explosives and hidden weapons caches found in children's wardrobes. We found secret passages between rooms through the wardrobes and weapons caches under the floor," he said.
The forces observed how Hamas has learned from their experiences in the war and better fortified themselves and their positions.
"One of the changes Hamas made in Rafah is to chain buildings with explosive devices and weapons so that if one explosion goes off, all of the buildings on the street collapse on the troops," he said.
"We understood this quickly and operated wisely since then, using drones and canines to scan the inside of the edifice first after we attack from the outside. We can’t be allowed to miss anything. Hamas also set up many CCTV cameras to remotely monitor our movements, and we dismantle these surveillance devices,” he said.
According to IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, the IDF has so far eliminated 900 terrorists in Rafah, though the number counts to less than a third of the local brigade's force and the last major target in the military’s ground operation. Over 2,000 Hamas terrorists in Rafah managed to flee northward, mainly to Khan Younis, but not before trapping the streets with explosives.