The commander of Hamas’ East Rafah Battalion, his deputy, and two other operatives were killed early Sunday while trying to flee a tunnel in southern Gaza, Israel’s military reported.
The announcement came shortly after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had killed four Hamas militants who had emerged from underground tunnels in eastern Rafah overnight.
🔴 ELIMINATED: Four terrorists who emerged from underground terror infrastructure in eastern Rafah.
IDF troops operating in eastern Rafah identified four terrorists who exited the underground infrastructure in the area.
Guided by the IAF, the troops eliminated all four…
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 30, 2025
Col. Arik Moyal, commander of the Nahal Brigade, said the operation was carried out by his forces, along with the Israeli Air Force. One of the dead was the son of senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad. Hamas has not confirmed the deaths.
Meanwhile, footage released by the IDF on Sunday shows soldiers tracking and pursuing militants in Rafah over recent weeks.
According to the IDF, its forces have so far killed more than 40 Hamas operatives and dismantled dozens of tunnel shafts and militant infrastructure sites in recent operations in the area.
🎥 WATCH: New Footage From the Pursuit of Hamas Terrorists
Over the past 40 days, our troops have been operating in a concentrated effort in the eastern Rafah area, with the aim of dismantling the underground tunnel routes and eliminating the terrorists hiding out within them.… pic.twitter.com/koqTe4iNvj
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 30, 2025
A Channel 12 report last week stated that Israel had offered Hamas militants the chance to exit the tunnel if they surrendered and agreed to be transferred to Israeli prisons.
Since then, the militants have refused to surrender, repeatedly emerging from tunnels in attempts to flee or attack IDF forces.
On Saturday, CBS News reported that a Hamas operative surrendered to Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, stating that he had recently joined Hamas but now regretted his decision.
NEWS: A Hamas fighter surrendered to Israeli forces today, a US official told @CBSNews. He crossed Gaza’s yellow line, the ceasefire line that took effect Oct. 10, and told IDF that Hamas had recently recruited him but he now regretted his choice, the official said.
IDF said it… pic.twitter.com/SAhIFaDOKh— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) November 29, 2025
An estimated 60 to 80 Hamas terrorists are still believed to be hiding in Rafah’s tunnels, according to reports.
