IDF drops Gaza leaflets citing Quran, warns of punishment for 'wrongdoers'

The leaflets were linked by some to reports the IDF intends to flood the Hamas tunnels under Gaza.

 IDF leaflet reading "Then the Flood overtook them, while they persisted in wrongdoing." (photo credit: Via Maariv)
IDF leaflet reading "Then the Flood overtook them, while they persisted in wrongdoing."
(photo credit: Via Maariv)

The IDF dropped leaflets over Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, citing a Quranic verse about how the wicked in the times of Noah were swept away by the biblical flood, according to Palestinian reports.

"Then the Flood overtook them, while they persisted in wrongdoing," read the leaflets, which also included a Star of David and the emblem of the IDF.

The quote is taken from verse 14 in Surah Al-'Ankabut (the Spider), the 29th chapter of the Quran.

Leaflets linked to reports that IDF intends to flood Hamas tunnels

The leaflets were linked by some social media users to reports that the IDF intends to flood the tunnels under Gaza in an attempt to force Hamas above-ground. The leaflets were also dropped as rainy weather hit the area.

 Palestinians at the scene of a destroyed structure after an IDF airstrike in Khan Yunis amid Israel's war on Hamas, in the southern Gaza Strip, on December 3, 2023. (credit: ATIA MOHAMMED/FLASH90)
Palestinians at the scene of a destroyed structure after an IDF airstrike in Khan Yunis amid Israel's war on Hamas, in the southern Gaza Strip, on December 3, 2023. (credit: ATIA MOHAMMED/FLASH90)

The IDF has dropped leaflets throughout Gaza since the beginning of the war with instructions to civilians for evacuation and other directives.

The latest leaflets came as the military surrounded Khan Yunis, believed to be the city where Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other senior Hamas members are hiding.