IDF says all 17 terrorists who tried to flee tunnel in Gaza’s Rafah killed or captured

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

A Palestinian terror operative who was captured by IDF troops in southern Gaza's Rafah, November 22, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
A Palestinian terror operative who was captured by IDF troops in southern Gaza's Rafah, November 22, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

After a 24-hour pursuit, the military says it killed or captured all 17 Palestinian terror operatives who attempted to flee from a Hamas tunnel in an IDF-held area in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday.

On Friday, 17 operatives emerged from a tunnel in eastern Rafah — an area where dozens of Hamas members are thought to be holed up underground — and attempted to flee back to Hamas-held areas of the Strip.

According to the IDF, on Friday, six were killed in airstrikes shortly after coming out of the tunnel, and five were captured by troops of the Nahal Brigade.

Today, Nahal soldiers opened fire and killed five of the operatives in two separate incidents, and a short while ago, detained the final suspect, the IDF says.

The six detained operatives were handed over to the Shin Bet for further questioning, the military adds.

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