From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 26, 2024
Israel destroys Khan Younis rocket launcher used in Rishon Lezion attack
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A Hamas rocket launcher used in an attack on central Israel last night was destroyed in an airstrike, the military says.
The rocket fired by Hamas in the attack struck an open area near the city of Rishon Lezion. The terror group claimed to have attacked Tel Aviv.
According to the IDF, the launcher was located near a school in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis by troops of the 98th Division operating in the area, who directed a drone to strike it.
Footage published by the IDF shows strikes hitting the launcher, along with another structure used by the Hamas terrorists who fired the rocket, the army says.
The IDF says that secondary explosions were seen following the strike on the launcher, “indicating the presence of additional rockets in the launcher that was struck.”
Troops of the 98th Division have been operating in Khan Younis and on the outskirts of Deir al-Balah over the last day, killing dozens of gunmen and locating weapons, the army says.
In Rafah, troops with the 162nd Division killed dozens more gunmen over the past day as they swept through the southern Gaza city’s Tel Sultan neighborhood, according to the IDF.
At the same time, reservists with the 252nd Division used a tank to shell enemy fighters from the Netzarim Corridor of central Gaza, killing several gunmen, the military adds.
