The IDF is investigating whether two of the terrorists killed in an aerial strike in Gaza on Sunday morning were the commander of the East Rafah Battalion - known as the “Janina Battalion Commander” - and his deputy.
According to security officials, four bodies were found at the strike site in the Janina neighborhood, contradicting the initial assessment that a larger squad had been present.
Because of the gap between the early intelligence and what was found on the ground, the possibility is now being examined that the two senior battalion figures were among the dead. The IDF said that “the identification process is complex and ongoing,” emphasizing that at this stage there is no definitive indication regarding their identities.
Meanwhile, the campaign against terrorists entrenched in the Rafah-area tunnel system continues at full intensity.
Over the past month, more than 44 terrorists have been eliminated in various IDF operations. Security sources estimate that roughly 50 terrorists remain alive in the area, some inside tunnel networks that have been severed from one another by Southern Command - a condition that severely disrupts their logistics and limits movement between sectors.
The IDF continues broad efforts aimed at collapsing tunnels, cutting routes, and constricting operational spaces, with the goal of restricting terrorist freedom of movement and disrupting the subterranean infrastructure on which they rely.