The Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, is not in hiding in Rafah, contrary to previous assumptions, according to two Israeli sources who spoke with The New York Times.
The two sources stated on Friday that Rafah is not Sinwar’s hiding place, though they could not definitively determine where he is. According to the report, the latest intelligence estimates indicate that Sinwar is hiding in underground tunnels in the Khan Yunis area, from where the IDF withdrew about a month ago.
On Saturday morning, the IDF ordered the evacuation of 150,000 residents of Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip from the refugee camp ahead of a renewed entry of the IDF for another operation in the area.
IDF evacuations
Simultaneously, the IDF evacuated two neighborhoods in eastern Rafah, located west of previous IDF activity.
The IDF emphasized that forces have not yet entered the two neighborhoods in eastern Rafah.
IDF activity also continued in the Zeitun neighborhood in southern Gaza City, with additional tunnels and explosives found.
In the Security Department, criticism persists over the political vacuum created by the postponement of decisions regarding the day after in Gaza. Against this backdrop, the IDF struggles to present alternative governance to Hamas, which constantly works to restore its capabilities in areas where the IDF initially operated during the escalation.
“Whoever feeds the people in Gaza has a chance to rule. Even if we finish what we’re doing in Rafah and dismantle the terror infrastructure, if there’s no one to take over, Hamas will try to continue and rebuild,” said sources in the IDF.