Latest Developments
Renewed Rafah Operation: The IDF issued an evacuation order for Palestinians in the southern city of Rafah and parts of neighboring Khan Younis on March 31. IDF Arabic language spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee posted the order on social media with an accompanying map instructing residents to go to the coastal Mawasi safe zone as “[t]he IDF is returning to fight with great force to eliminate the capabilities of terrorist organizations in these areas.” On April 1, Adraee urged civilians not to let Hamas use them as human shields and prevent them from evacuating.
IDF Destroys Tunnel: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on March 30 that military pressure against Hamas is working to “create the optimal conditions for releasing hostages.” The following day, the IDF reported that its troops were conducting operations to expand the security perimeter in northern and central Gaza. The IDF’s elite Yahalom Engineering Unit destroyed a one-kilometer-long Hamas tunnel, in addition to locating launchers and a workshop for producing rockets.
IDF Accused of Killing First Responders: The United Nations and the Palestinian Red Crescent (PRC) accused the IDF of killing 15 emergency responders in southern Gaza on March 23 “in cold blood” — including eight PRC members and six members of Gaza’s Civil Defense — despite them reportedly traveling in marked emergency vehicles. IDF International Spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani responded on X, writing that the vehicles had advanced suspiciously towards IDF troops “without headlights or emergency signals” and had not coordinated their movements with the IDF. He added that an initial assessment of the incident determined that Hamas military operative Mohammad Shubaki — who participated in the October 7, 2023, Hamas atrocities on Israel — was killed during the incident, “along with 8 other terrorists from Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.”
FDD Expert Response
“There is documented evidence that Hamas and its allies have repeatedly exploited civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities and ambulances, during times of conflict with Israel. The international community must understand that Hamas and its allies prioritize their survival above all else and will exploit any means necessary to ensure it.” —Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal
“Hamas’s repeated use of ambulances and hospitals in order to attack Israelis has eroded the Israelis’ trust that Palestinians will not abuse protections for healthcare workers. The deaths in southern Gaza might be another case where Hamas’s war crimes led to Israeli mistakes, or something entirely different. The job of a professional army is to review the incident, uncover the facts, and report its findings. Terrorists and activist groups, on the other hand, are not burdened by facts or truth and will make claims immediately without investigating them in order to capture the news cycle.” —David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst
FDD Background and Analysis
“‘Beaten with Clubs and Metal Rods’: Palestinian Murdered by Hamas for Participating in Gaza Protests,” FDD Flash Brief
“‘These Suspicious Individuals’: Hamas and Allied Groups Threaten Gaza Protestors,” FDD Flash Brief
“‘Out, Out Hamas!’: Palestinians in Gaza Take to Streets in Rare Protest,” FDD Flash Brief
“‘Israel Will Defeat Hamas’: IDF Eliminates Two Senior Terror Officials,” FDD Flash Brief
Issues:
Israel Israel at War