Commando forces in Khan Younis
(IDF)
The IDF said on Tuesday that its forces had made considerable headway in their offensive moves in Khan Younis, the second largest city in the Gaza Strip, after commando troops uncovered intelligence material. The military estimated recently that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was hiding underground in a tunnel in the area.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed earlier in the month, reports that Sinwar's home in the city was surrounded by IDF soldiers. "I said our forces can reach anywhere in the Strip and now they are surrounding Sinwar's own home," Netanyahu said. "So his home is not his castle, and he can escape but it is a matter of time until we get him."
The IDF spokesperson came out to clarify the prime minister's statement an hour later and said Sinwar was not above but bellow ground. "I don't want to say where and how. It is not the place to speak of these things. Our mission is to locate him and kill him. We have to accomplish that as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said.
Forces broke through the road leading into Khan Younis earlier in the week. They stormed the offices of the Khan Younis Brigade commander and underground terror infrastructure there and reached and held the city's main square.
In the fighting since, troops located and killed many of the birgade's terrorist force, some in tank fire and uncovered some 30 tunnel shafts. They also attacked and destroyed Hamas anti-tank positions and observation posts, confiscated weapons and located intelligence material.
The soldiers raided Hamas facilities and apartments used by the Nukhba force where ammunition, weapons and naval equipment were found.