IDF Continues Targeted Operations Against Remaining Hamas Terror Cells

The Prophet Zechariah taught us: ” ‘Not by military force and not by physical strength, but by My spirit,’ says the Lord of Hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). We must not forget that while we put in the effort to shore up our defense against enemies, it is our connection to God that truly protects us. Many IDF soldiers carry books of prayer or Scripture while on active duty to remind themselves of this fact.

And active duty is not lacking. Despite a declared ceasefire framework, Israel Defense Forces continue to confront active Hamas terror elements emerging from the vast underground tunnel network in eastern Rafah. Over the past week alone, Israeli forces have eliminated six terrorists who surfaced from tunnel shafts and opened fire on IDF troops – incidents the military defines as blatant violations of the ceasefire agreement.

According to the IDF, the most recent incident occurred during an operational sweep in the Rafah area, when a Hamas terrorist emerged from a tunnel shaft near Israeli forces and began shooting. The troops responded immediately, neutralizing the threat without sustaining casualties.

In a follow-up operation, IDF Spokesperson confirmed that troops from the 7th Armored Brigade identified four more terrorists emerging from a tunnel shaft in eastern Rafah. After the terrorists opened fire, Israeli forces returned fire and eliminated all four.

❌BLATANT CEASEFIRE VIOLATION: 4 armed terrorists exited an underground tunnel shaft and fired towards IDF troops operating in the Rafah area. No IDF injuries were reported.

Following identification, the troops eliminated the terrorists.

IDF troops are continuing to operate in…

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 9, 2026

Earlier, soldiers from the 188th Armored Brigade operating in southern Gaza identified another armed individual approaching their position in a manner that posed an immediate threat. The terrorist was swiftly neutralized to remove the danger.

The IDF emphasized that any emergence of armed terrorists from underground tunnels, especially when accompanied by gunfire, constitutes a severe breach of the ceasefire agreement.

“IDF forces under Southern Command remain deployed in accordance with the agreement,” the military stated, “and will continue focused operations to locate and eliminate any remaining terrorists in the underground network in order to remove threats to our forces.”

A Shrinking but Persistent Terror Pocket

These encounters are part of a broader pattern that has reinforced the IDF’s assessment that a small but dangerous “terror pocket” remains active beneath Rafah. Although Hamas’s tunnel infrastructure has suffered extensive damage over months of fighting, isolated cells continue to operate underground.

This assessment is supported by intelligence gathered from the interrogation of a Hamas company commander who was recently apprehended after exiting the tunnel system. According to his testimony, several additional terrorists, estimated at around seven, were still hiding within the underground network at the time of his capture.

Israeli security officials now assess that only a small number of Hamas operatives remain underground, cut off from leadership and without an organized command structure. Reports indicate these fighters stockpiled food and water in advance, allowing them to survive for months beneath the surface, but not to regain operational momentum.

Growing Concern Over Humanitarian Aid Reaching Hamas

Against the backdrop of the ongoing combat beneath Rafah, controversy has intensified in Israel over the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. On Monday, Israeli Knesset Members Avigdor Lieberman, Yulia Malinovsky, and Sharon Nir visited the Kerem Shalom crossing alongside activists from the Tzav 9 organization to protest the continued entry of aid trucks into the Strip.

The lawmakers warned that, in practice, much of the aid is seized by Hamas and used to finance its survival and rearmament. Lieberman described the situation as “a recipe for the next disaster,” arguing that reconstruction and large-scale aid deliveries before Hamas is fully disarmed only strengthen the terror group. “Electricity, water, goods – everything that goes in ultimately reaches Hamas,” he said, warning about repeating the pre–October 7th security paradigm and endangering Israeli lives.

Israeli activists show the flow of trucks entering Gaza

Force and God’s Spirit

Even as diplomatic processes advance and border crossings operate under strict supervision, the fighting against Hamas has not ended. Beneath Rafah, Israel’s war against terror continues methodically, precisely, and with the stated goal of ensuring that no armed Hamas presence remains capable of threatening Israeli soldiers or civilians.

The message from Israel’s security establishment is unequivocal: ceasefire or not, any armed Hamas activity will be met with immediate and decisive force. And we pray that force is lent God’s spirit to succeed.