Israel Defense Forces discover tunnel in child's bedroom in Rafah
Tuesday, June 11, 2024
On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported they had discovered a tunnel in a child's bedroom in Rafah, belonging to Hamas, which is recognized by the United States as a terrorist organization. A butcher's knife was also reported to have been found near the tunnel's entrance. Explosives and other weapons were recovered from the tunnel.
The same day, the IDF was also reported to have located six militants "near a school” close to the tunnel who were "eliminated by UAV and tank fire."
This came amidst the recent escalation after the October 7, 2023 attack. The attack killed 1,139 Israelis, including 373 members of the security forces, 695 civilians (including 36 children), and 71 foreigners. In addition, nearly 250 Israelis were taken hostage. During the attack, more than 3,000 Hamas gunmen crossed the border, as well as nearly 6,000 rockets were fired. Sources indicate numerous acts of sexual assault resulted during this conflict. Thousands of rockets are also reported to have been fired during the attack. In response, Israel declared war on Hamas and mobilized 350,000 reservists. Up to May 2024, Israel says they have killed 14,000 terrorists and 16,000 civilians during the war, while Hamas says that 35,000 people have been killed.
Sources
- "Soldiers find Rafah tunnel shaft under child's bedroom" — ANI News, June 6, 2024
- Anders Hagstrom. "Israeli troops uncover Hamas tunnel entrance inside child's room in Rafah" — Fox News, June 6, 2024
- Victoria Bisset. "Who are the Hamas leaders behind the attacks on Israel?" — The Washington Post, October 11, 2023
- "Israel social security data reveals true picture of Oct 7 deaths" — France 24, December 15, 2023
- Emanuel Fabian, Gianluca Pacchiani. "IDF estimates 3,000 Hamas terrorists invaded Israel in Oct. 7 onslaught" — The Times of Israel, November 1, 2023
- "Israel publishes new civilian death toll in Gaza" — VOA News, May 21, 2024
