IDF finds one of Hamas's last weapons factories, operates against Jenin terrorists

Colombia's trade ministry is recommending restrictions on coal sales to Israel, Bloomberg News said on Thursday, citing an internal document and a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

The IDF destroyed a large tunnel in Rafah that reached the Philadelphi corridor and destroyed ready-to-fire rocket launchers that were hidden in a UN post in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, the military announced on Wednesday.

The combat teams of the 12th Brigade, the Givati ​​Brigade, the 401st Brigade, the Yahalom Unit, and Unit 504 have been conducting precise, intelligence-based, targeted operations in the Rafah area for the past few weeks under the command of the 162nd Division, the IDF noted.

During operations, troops located several smaller tunnel shafts that led to a long tunnel route that reached as far as the Philadelphi Corridor. The tunnel route was approximately two kilometers long and connected to several other routes in the area.

The tunnel that was located was reportedly extensive and contained blast doors, which were storing weapons such as AK-47s, anti-tank missiles, many intelligence assets, and explosives.

Operations in Deir al-Balah

Additionally, the combat teams of the 7th Brigade and the Kfir Brigade began a divisional operation under the 98th Division over the past day in eastern Bureij and eastern Deir al-Balah simultaneously.

A rocket launcher found hidden under a UN post in the Gaza Strip, June 5, 2024 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

The troops operated against terrorist infrastructure above and below ground in the area and destroyed rocket launch areas. The troops gained operational control of the region, killed terrorists from the ground and the air, and located several tunnel shafts, the IDF added.

Hours after the start of the operation, the 7th Brigade Combat Team located a ready-to-launch mortar shell launcher hidden under a post with a UN symbol on it near the border fence.

Yemen's Houthis conducted three military operations targeting three vessels in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, the Iranian-backed group's military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on Wednesday.

British security firm Ambrey said in a statement that a Greek-owned bulk carrier was allegedly targeted by the Houthi group while underway northbound in the Red Sea.

According to the statement, the carrier's transmissions stopped 118NM east of Massawa, Eritrea. At the time, it was underway from Mormugao, India, with its destination as Suez, Egypt. "The alleged 'targeting' of the vessel was aligned to the stated Houthi intent," Ambrey said. 

The Houthi group's statement following the attack

Houthi terrorists targeted two vessels in the Red Sea, Roza and Vantage Dream, with a number of missiles and drones, Saree added in a televised speech. The third ship, the US vessel Maersk Seletar, was targeted in the Arabian Sea with a number of drones, Saree said.

Greek-flagged bulk cargo vessel Sea Champion is docked to the port of Aden, Yemen to which it arrived after being attacked in the Red Sea in what appears to have been a mistaken missile strike by Houthi militia, February 21, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/Fawaz Salman)

"The operations were carried out with high precision, and targets were hit," the Houthi group said in an official statement on Telegram. 

"We call on all foreign companies and ships to leave the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea to avoid being targeted," the group continued. 

Attacks done "in support of the Palestinian people"

Furthermore, the Houthi group affirmed that the attacks were done as an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people. "Our operations came in support of the Palestinian people and their victory [in the Israel-Hamas war]. The operations were a response to the crimes against those who have been displaced in Rafah, and they were done within the framework of our plan to expand into a fourth phase of escalation."

The Houthi group concluded that they plan on continuing "to carry out operations in support of the Palestinian people until the aggression against them stops, they are victorious, and the siege on the Gaza Strip is lifted. 

 Reuters contributed to this report.

The IDF confirmed it struck a UNRWA school in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip early on Thursday morning.

The IDF claimed that the school was being used as a base for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters, in particular terrorists that participated in the October 7 massacre.

Members of Hamas's elite Nukhba force were also present at the site.

Terror attacks were directed from the school while being used by terrorists as a shelter due to the school's civilian nature, according to the IDF.

Palestinians shop in an open-air market near the ruins of houses and buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes during the conflict, amid a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip November 30, 2023. (credit: IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA/REUTERS)

The IDF also claimed that there was an immediate threat of continued attacks by the cell hiding in the school.

Civilian casualties despite evacuation

Commenting on the civilian evacuations, the IDF said, "Before the attack, many steps were taken to reduce the chance of harm to those not involved. As part of those efforts, aerial reconnaissance, precise targeting, and additional intelligence information were used [to identify the target]."

The Hamas-run Gaza Government Media Office said that at least 27 people were killed and dozens injured, as reported by Reuters.

There was no immediate confirmation by the Gaza Health Ministry, Reuters could not immediately verify the announcement.

Reuters contributed to this report.

This is a developing story.