A cell of at least 18 Hamas operatives attempted to raid an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) encampment in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza on Wednesday morning, in what the military described as a rare and unusual incident.
According to an IDF probe, the gunmen emerged from a tunnel at around 9 a.m.. They launched a coordinated assault on the outpost using machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, and anti-tank weapons. Three Israeli soldiers from the Kfir Brigade’s Nahshon Battalion were wounded in the fighting, one of them seriously.
Gun Battle Inside the Encampment
The IDF said several of the attackers breached the encampment perimeter and exchanged fire with troops at close range. At least 10 of the operatives were killed in a combination of ground fire and Israeli airstrikes, while eight others managed to retreat back into the tunnel system.
Footage released by the army showed targeted airstrikes during the raid. Additional video circulating online depicted a tank from the 74th Armored Battalion ramming into an RPG-wielding operative inside the camp.
The military confirmed it is continuing to pursue the remaining attackers.
Hamas Claims Responsibility
Hamas’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility, boasting that its gunmen “stormed the site” and carried out a suicide bombing. The group claimed to have destroyed tanks, struck buildings used by IDF soldiers, and killed multiple troops in close-range combat.
The IDF, however, reported no fatalities among its soldiers and said Hamas’s statements were exaggerated, consistent with previous claims during the nearly two-year war.
Attempts to Kidnap Soldiers
Military officials assessed that the cell sought to kidnap Israeli troops during the raid. “The fact that terrorists reached point-blank encounters with tanks and infantry indicates serious vulnerabilities in the defense array,” one officer familiar with the sector told Walla News. “The last time we saw a tank run over terrorists was October 7. That means a lot.”
Larger Offensive Looming
The assault comes as Israel prepares for a large-scale ground offensive into Gaza City. Defense officials have expressed concern that Hamas will continue to exploit weaknesses in IDF field deployments until broader maneuver operations begin.
The Khan Younis raid is the second large infiltration attempt in recent weeks. Last month, a cell of at least 12 Hamas operatives attempted an attack on an IDF logistics road in the same region.
Despite Hamas claims that Wednesday’s battle “lasted for several hours,” the IDF said the incident was contained in under an hour.
