THE Israel Defense Forces said it eliminated two senior Hamas leaders in a precision airstrike in Rafah – just hours after the terrorist group attacked Tel Aviv.
Yassin Rabia, head of the West Bank headquarters and senior member of the Khaled Najjar unit, was killed in an attack in Tel Sultan – an area in Rafah filled with thousands of displaced civilians.
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The IDF said it attacked a Hamas compound inside Rafah that was being operated by “senior Hamas terrorists a short time ago.”
It added: “The attack was carried out against legitimate targets under international law, using precise munitions and based on accurate intelligence indicating Hamas’ use of the area.”
Rabia, the senior leader killed in the airstrikes, managed “all Hamas terrorist activities” in the area, the IDF claims.
He is also said to have carried out several attacks against defense forces that resulted in the deaths of Israeli troops.
Najjar, who allegedly managed funds for Hamas in Rafah, also carried out several attacks against civilians and the IDF between 2001 and 2003, he said.
Although the IDF claims the attack was carried out based on “precision intelligence,” the attack has already killed at least 35 people and injured dozens more.
“The IDF is aware of reports indicating that as a result of the attack and the fire that was unleashed, several civilians in the area were injured. The incident is under review,” it said in a statement.
Hamas condemned the attack on what it claimed was “an area filled with hundreds of thousands of displaced people.”
Most of those killed were women and children, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said.
Thousands of people are said to have taken shelter in the western part of Rafah after escaping from the eastern flanks of the city where the IDF began its ground invasion two weeks ago.
The attack came just hours after Hamas launched a series of rocket attacks on Israel for the first time in months, forcing civilians to flee their homes.
Rocket sirens sounded loudly in Tel Aviv after eight missiles were launched from Gaza, with photos showing Israel’s famous Iron Dome intercepting several of them mid-air.
Israel’s impressive Iron Dome technology was seen in action for the first time since December, when they thwarted missiles in the air.
The mobile all-weather air defense system managed to shoot down several rockets.
The dome is made up of missile batteries shaped like giant matchboxes and tilted towards Gaza.
The impressive Iron Dome was only configured to detect rockets aimed at highly populated regions of Israel, such as Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.
Hamas announced that it had targeted Israel’s largest city, saying: “We fired a large volley at Tel Aviv in response to the Zionist massacres of civilians.”
The barrage of missiles is thought to have come from the city of Rafah, where Israel has been constantly bombarding with attacks as it seeks to end the bloody war.
A few days ago, Israel was instructed to immediately cease its operation in Rafah, a southern part of the Gaza Strip where countless Palestinians have taken refuge.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said the humanitarian crisis in Rafah had “further deteriorated” and the situation was now “disastrous”.
ICJ President Nawaf Salam said: “Israel must immediately halt its military offensive.”
The global court accused Israel of limiting aid to Gaza, which it denies.
ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in the Strip.
Hamas leaders were also included in requests for international warrants.
The attack on Rafah in recent weeks comes as the IDF seeks to seek out and destroy any last remnants of Hamas so that the war can end.
Israel says the city is Hamas’ last major stronghold in the Gaza Strip.
They have been “eliminating terrorists” and “terrorist infrastructures” with hundreds of “terrorist targets” already being hit.
Repeated airstrikes have also been taking place since early May, with three “significant” tunnel shafts also being found.
Military tanks surrounded the entire eastern half of the city filled with refugees as the planned attack began.
The remaining hostages are believed to still be held underground within Hamas’ network of safe houses.
Israel said around 120 hostages were still held in Rafah, with pressure mounting for them to be finally saved after more than 230 days.
Many of them include young girls and elderly people.
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