A local militia operating in the Rafah sector, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, announced on Wednesday that four members of Hamas’s military wing surrendered to his men during an attempted attack on the humanitarian zone in Rafah.
According to the militia’s statement, Abu Shabab’s forces - who he claims operate “together with the international coalition” - took custody of the terrorists after their surrender and subsequently transferred them to IDF forces.
Abu Shabab released footage showing one of the captives openly admitting his identity and involvement in Hamas activities.
A local Gaza channel reported that the individual was Tarek al-Shawi, who surrendered along with three others several days ago. The Gaza source claimed that the four were handed over by the militia to the IDF as part of ongoing cooperation between the sides.
Earlier on Wednesday, the IDF published footage showing the identification and strike against six armed terrorists in eastern Rafah. The footage shows the terrorists emerging from an underground tunnel before being targeted by aircraft, under the guidance of ground forces.
Following the airstrike, a Nahal Brigade battle team entered one of the buildings in the area for searches. Inside the building, four terrorists were located - one killed in the strike itself, while the other three were shot and killed at close range by soldiers. Two additional terrorists were arrested.
According to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, more than 20 terrorists have been eliminated in eastern Rafah over the past week, while eight others attempting to escape the underground terror infrastructure were captured.
The forces continue focused operations in the area, identifying and dismantling remaining terror cells.