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IDF hits terror operatives who emerged from tunnel under Rafah; 3 killed, fate of other 5 unclear

30 January 2026 13:00 (UTC +04:00)

The Israeli Air Force struck a group of eight terror operatives who emerged from a tunnel in eastern Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip overnight, the military says, APA reports, citing Times of Israel.

Eastern Rafah is an area on the Israeli side of the ceasefire line where dozens of Hamas fighters were believed to be trapped underground. The IDF had reported killing or capturing more than 30 of them in recent months.

The military says soldiers of the 414th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit spotted the eight operatives emerging from a tunnel, and the Israeli Air Force then carried out a strike against them.

Three of the operatives were killed in the strike, the IDF says, and additional strikes were carried out in areas where the other five were believed to have fled to.

Troops on the ground are searching the area for the operatives, and the results of the strikes are still being examined, the IDF says.