At approximately 0100 EST, initial reports indicated that a major IDF operation as underway in the al-Ezba area West of Rafah. By 0600 EST, IDF tanks were spotted near the al-Najma roundabout in the center of Rafah.
By 0630 EST, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade claimed to have targeted IDF troops with mortar fire in the Tal al-Sultan area of Rafah. By 0730 EST, the Al-Qassam Brigades claimed to have killed and injured several IDF soldiers in a complex IED attack in the al-Shaboura are of Rafah. This claim was supported by video footage of a four-story building collapse. At least two IDF troops have been claimed to be dead with at least 10 others wounded.
The Al-Qassam Brigades then published this report:
“The Qassam Mujahideen were able to detonate a booby-trapped house inside which a Zionist force was holed up in the Shaboura camp in the city of Rafah, leaving members of the force dead and wounded. Immediately upon the arrival of the rescue force, our mujahideen destroyed the surroundings of the house that was blown up with mortar shells.”
The IDF has not confirmed reports of Israeli war-dead. However, several terrorist-affiliated social media pages are repeating the initial claims that there are several casualties.
