IDF's Nahal Brigade recently uncovered the Hamas precision project in the heart of the Tuffah neighborhood. The Nahal Brigade Combat Team located the underground production base in a concealed tunnel in the northeastern neighborhood of Gaza City, adjacent to Israel's border. The soldiers found that the factory was used to turn turn "low-tech" rockets into precise missiles. The IDF allowed its publication on Sunday.
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The IDF says that it is unknown whether these missiles, which Hezbollah also has in much larger quantities based on the same method (improvement kits for existing rockets with a new warhead that contains a GPS device), were used to form a precise rocket. It currently remains unknown whether there are other similar research and development sites throughout Gaza.
IDF destroys tunnels containing Iran-guided Hamas precision rocket factory
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
About two years ago, Ynet reported the IDF's fear of such a capability in Hamas, which could be a significant tie-breaker against Israel. During the underground raid on the rocket factory, which the Nahal soldiers uncovered and later destroyed, Iranian training manuals were found. The manuals were similar to those Israel had confiscated from a shipment for Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
It seems that attacking Hamas' build-up capabilities was not an Israeli priority until the beginning of the ground maneuver following the attack on October 7 which led to this critical capability being identified. According to a senior IDF officer who carried out the mission, the Iranian training materials contained instructions on how to develop cruise missiles. The army points out that the Nahal force reached the exact point with collaboration with the Intelligence Directorate and found "development and production components" of this precision capability.
A well-disguised tunnel about 100 meters long led to the underground base. In recent weeks, IDF forces also discovered dozens of self-produced and relatively high-level remotely operated naval missiles in Gaza, intended for use by the Hamas naval commandos. In the Operation Guardian of the Walls, the IDF reported that this Hamas ability was eliminated.
In addition, the Nahal Brigade located in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza a large stockpile of 30 different rocket launchers of all ranges on Saturday. During this operation, a Hamas sniper killed the late Lt. Col. Roi Mordechai, who was a commanding officer in a training base and was expected to receive command of the 50th Battalion. The Nahal soldiers and their comrades from the 460th and 401st armored divisions faced hundreds of terrorists in Tuffah in northern Gaza about two weeks ago in relentless fighting until the IDF's victory in that battle.
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IDF uncovers and destroys rocket launching site in Tuffah
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Later, according to the division's officers, the IDF gained operational control of the neighborhood and at the forces destroyed houses of Gazans that were being used for observation and firing at the nearby Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
During the operation, many of the frontline division's soldiers were injured, but the terrorists were eliminated by the forces. According to the officers, these terrorists from this neighborhood were better trained, better equipped and had higher morale than those the IDF previously met in places like Shati and Jabaliya in Gaza.