IDF eliminates Hamas leaders leaving Rafah tunnels in overnight attack

With support from the Israeli Air Force, ground forces successfully located and eliminated a group of Hamas operatives. According to a security official speaking to Army Radio on Sunday morning, the Israel Defense Forces neutralized a Hamas battalion commander, his deputy, a company commander, and another militant.

This update came shortly after the IDF reported that four Hamas militants had emerged from underground tunnels in eastern Rafah overnight and were subsequently killed. While the precise location of their emergence was not confirmed, it is believed the militants were part of the network concealed in eastern Rafah, an area previously visited by journalists from The Jerusalem Post.

The operation is part of ongoing engagements in Gaza, where Israeli forces have repeatedly confronted and eliminated militants attempting to operate near the Yellow Line.

An IDF soldier was seen operating near Rafah in November 2025. (Credit: YONAH JEREMY BOB)

In a related incident, a Hamas militant reportedly crossed the Yellow Line and surrendered to Israeli forces on Saturday, a US official told CBS News. The location along the ceasefire line was not disclosed. The militant informed the IDF that he had recently been recruited by Hamas but now regrets joining the organization.

The US State Departments Office of Near Eastern Affairs commented on X/Twitter: "The people of Gaza cannot have a future under Hamas. Gaza has the potential to thrive, but only if it is free from terror and terrorist influence."

Report contributions by Yonah Jeremy Bob and Fraidy Moser.

Author: Sophia Brooks