Lt. Oriel Mashiach, commander of the Sabar Battalion in the Givati Brigade, provided some insight to Maariv on Sunday into the combat operations in Rafah: "We are conducting very intense combat. Rafah is devoid of civilians, and what we see are the terrorists.
"We encounter a weary and demoralized enemy," he emphasized. "We have full control of the area and it seems the enemy struggles to fight. We face individuals who move independently. They operate on their own, tired and exhausted; some surrender upon seeing us, while others engage in suicidal actions."
Lieutenant Mashiach and his Givati soldiers have been fighting since October 7. However, he stressed that "Every soldier understands the mission and its significance. Our mission is to bring the hostages home. This burns in every soldier. We will continue the mission until we complete it, however long it takes."
"Hamas has learned IDF tactics and attempt to ambush buildings," he added on Hamas's operations in Rafah. "But we study the enemy well. Through investigations after each battle, every activity, we learn a lot from attack to attack, do our homework, and operate in such a way that missions are carried out to protect our soldiers."
Dealing a severe blow to the terrorist group
The IDF's ongoing operations in Gaza have significantly weakened Hamas's military wing, prompting intense combat in Rafah as Israeli forces dismantle infrastructure and adapt to enemy tactics.
The IDF estimated that Hamas's military wing suffered a particularly severe blow in the nine months of fighting, with many of its units disbanded and destroyed. This is one of the factors affecting Yahya Sinwar's conduct in negotiating a ceasefire and the return of the captives.
In Rafah, the IDF is poised to dismantle Hamas's military operations. Givati Brigade personnel, alongside combat engineers and Nahal infantry soldiers, have been actively engaged for over a month, destroying Hamas's military infrastructure.