From the Liveblog of
Thursday, July 31, 2025
IDF footage shows apparent Hamas attempt to ambush, kidnap soldiers
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Footage circulating on social media shows an attempt by Hamas to carry out an attack on forces in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis yesterday, with an unusually large cell of at least 12 gunmen.
The military assesses that the operatives, armed with assault rifles and RPGs, sought to kidnap troops.
The videos, which are from leaked IDF aerial reconnaissance, show that the gunmen positioned themselves on the side of an IDF logistics road in Khan Younis and hid underneath blankets to ambush the Israeli forces.
Footage circulating on social media shows an attempt by Hamas to carry out an attack on forces in southern Gaza's Khan Younis yesterday, with an unusually large squad of at least 12 operatives.
The military assesses that the operatives, armed with assault rifles and RPGs, sought… pic.twitter.com/pTNMSZdzfd
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) July 31, 2025
The gunmen were spotted by troops of the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion using a drone, and they called in an Israeli Air Force Hermes 450 UAV to strike them. However, as the videos show, the gunmen fled back into a nearby tunnel before being struck.
As the gunmen withdrew, the IDF also identified a Hamas drone flying over the area, apparently to provide intel to the cell, according to a military probe.
The IDF is also investigating the leaked videos that have circulated online since yesterday.
The Times of Israel Community.