IDF soldiers of the 188th Brigade and Shayetet 13 successfully gained control of the Gaza harbor, the IDF announced on Thursday morning. The harbor had been under the control of Hamas.
During the operation, in which soldiers of the Combat Engineering Corps and the Air Force also participated, some 10 tunnel shafts were destroyed as well as other Hamas infrastructure, and 10 terrorists were killed. Tunnels used in the area led directly to the sea to aid undetected maritime infiltrations.
All buildings in the harbor area were successfully cleared.
Hamas used the harbor as a training facility for their naval commando forces for planning and executing naval terror attacks. Under the guise of a civilian harbor, Hamas used the area for training and carrying out terror attacks, all the while using civilian and Gaza harbor police vessels.
Infiltrations by sea were part of Hamas's attack on October 7, and in the following weeks there were regular attempts to reach Israel this way, including one incident when Hamas terrorists attempted to infilatre the town of Zikim but were countered by Israeli forces.
At least ten Hamas terrorists were killed in waters off the shore of the southern Gaza border town of Zikim after attempting to infiltrate into Israel on October 24.
IDF strikes residence of Hamas leader
The residence of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which was used as terrorist infrastructure, was hit by an airstrike on Wednesday night as IDF troops continue to operate in the Gaza Strip, the IDF revealed.
Haniyeh, the Head of Hamas’ Political Bureau, is based in Qatar but his Gaza residence often served as a meeting point for Hamas's senior leadership to direct terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers. The IDF also announced two fallen officers on Thursday morning. Captain Asaf Master and Captain Kfir Itzhak Franco were named by the IDF as having fallen in battle in Gaza.