Israel faced another Hamas raid Wednesday morning when terrorists stormed a military base in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis in a coordinated assault. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), at least 18 terrorists emerged from a tunnel at around 9 a.m. and opened fire. Israeli troops quickly returned fire, killing at least 10 attackers through close combat and airstrikes. An aerial search is now underway for those who escaped back underground.
The IDF confirmed that three Israeli soldiers were injured, one seriously, during the attack. The terrorists’ goal was clear: to abduct soldiers from the base. Hamas’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, boasted that its operatives “stormed” the base and used sniper fire to “fatally wound” a tank commander. The group further claimed, “One of the martyrs detonated himself among the soldiers, leaving them dead and wounded.” The IDF, however, has reported no fatalities.
The raid comes as Israel prepares to seize Gaza City and dismantle Hamas’s military infrastructure. Mediators from Egypt and Qatar have increased ceasefire talks, but Hamas refuses to meet core Israeli demands, including disarming and expelling its leaders from Gaza.
President Donald Trump voiced strong support for Israel’s campaign, declaring that Hamas will not release hostages until it is “confronted and destroyed.” Israeli intelligence believes around 20 hostages remain alive in Gaza, with the bodies of up to 50 others still held by the terror group.
