The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have released a video showing its military had located Hamas rocket launchers near a swimming pool and a playground. Troops also claimed that the terrorists had hidden several rocket launchers within a playground and amusement park compound in northern Gaza, Times of Israel reports. The IDF said Hamas operatives use such sites to fire rockets inside the Israeli territory. The IDF claims to have discovered the sites after penetrating deeper into the enclave on Sunday, following a barrage of air and land strikes against Hamas HQs and other military targets.
An IDF spokesman said that the latest discoveries “prove once again that Hamas tries to hide its weapons among the population while seeking to deceive and mislead the international community.” He added that the IDF is continuing to search for and destroy Hamas infrastructure, including rocket-launching positions, as it continues to penetrate northern Gaza.
The IDF claims that Hamas has hidden tunnels and command centers underneath and adjacent to hospitals in the region, as well as storing weapons in mosques, schools, homes, and UN facilities. In one video, an IDF spokesman showed a “before” and “after” picture of a makeshift building with what appears to be a tin roof next to a cemetery. In the “before” picture, the makeshift structure is surrounded by graves, while in the “after” picture, it is blown apart to reveal what the IDF says are remnants of rocket-launching apparatus.
A Palestinian man living in Beit Lahiya, near the border with Egypt, told CNN that the recent Israeli attacks were a terrifying experience for his family. Mahmoud Shalabi said his wife and three children woke up at 4 am and heard a large explosion nearby. He said the family was terrified and had to run outside.
“We have been able to see all the destruction that was caused by the war, the bombings and everything,” Shalabi said. He added that he could not go out to work because of the heavy bombardment.
Israel has been accused of targeting civilians during its air and ground offensive, which is aimed at breaking the terror group’s ability to fire rockets into Israel. The United Nations has urged Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza and allow civilians to exit the territory. Still, the country has not done so as it seeks to remove the militants from power in the enclave.
A former IDF lawyer who spent most of her career advising commanders and other high-ranking officials on legal issues has said that there will be lawyers in the IDF’s operations rooms “24/7,” making sure that all decisions are reviewed for compliance with international law before they are made. Colonel (ret) Pnina Sharvit Baruch, the deputy head of the Israel Center for Public Affairs, tells the Telegraph that “Israel is a law-abiding country, and even in this dark hour, it must act by the rules of war.” The Telegraph’s Daniel Hecht contributed to this report.
