Rafah, Gaza Strip — The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have entered the final phase of combat operations in southern Gaza, as the elite Golani Brigade spearheads a systematic campaign to dismantle remaining Hamas terror strongholds in Rafah. This decisive effort comes after months of coordinated military action in the wake of the October 7, 2023 massacre—the deadliest antisemitic attack since the Holocaust—in which Hamas terrorists, armed and directed with support from Iran, invaded Israeli communities, murdered over 1,200 civilians, and abducted hundreds of innocent men, women, and children.
In recent days, the Golani Brigade, a longstanding pillar of Israel’s defense forces, has concentrated operations in the Janina neighborhood of Rafah. According to the IDF, this area marks the last significant Hamas foothold within the city, and intense efforts are underway to eliminate entrenched terrorist fighters, neutralize underground infrastructure, and clear the region of threats to Israeli security. Division 36, within which Golani operates, has played a central role in the broader campaign throughout what the military has designated the ‘Morag Corridor,’ targeting the corridors used by Hamas for arms smuggling and movement of personnel.
“Golani never stops; we will lead and protect, driven by the memory of our fallen and faith in the justice of our mission,” emphasized Israel’s brigade command, reinforcing the troops’ commitment amidst fierce urban warfare. This determination is echoed throughout the IDF, as soldiers remain focused on expelling hostile forces while adhering to the ethical standards that distinguish Israeli operations from those of the terror groups they face.
Systematic Neutralization of Terror Infrastructure
Over recent months, the IDF has methodically neutralized hundreds of Hamas terrorist sites in Rafah, demolishing tunnels, weapons warehouses, command centers, and rocket launch positions deliberately concealed beneath civilian infrastructure. These efforts have uncovered clear evidence of Hamas’s systematic use of civilian homes, schools, and hospitals as shields for its operations—an explicit violation of international law, verified by independent experts and Israeli forces on the ground.
IDF combat engineers, with Golani in the lead, have located and destroyed numerous tunnel shafts and weapons depots, while ground units have eliminated dozens of Hamas terrorists in close-quarters combat. According to official briefings, the focus remains on both eradicating active fighters and preventing the reconstitution of terror cells anywhere in the southern Gaza Strip.
Operational Complexity: Protecting Civilians, Defending Israel
IDF tactics in Rafah and throughout Gaza have combined precision with stringent humanitarian considerations. In every major assault, Israeli commanders have issued warnings to Gaza residents through phone calls, text messages, flyers, and designated evacuation corridors, allowing civilians the opportunity to escape combat zones. This policy has been praised by U.S. and European defense analysts, as well as by several international organizations acknowledging the complexity Israel faces against an adversary that embeds itself among noncombatants.
Nevertheless, the urban environment and Hamas’s deliberate use of the population as a shield have resulted in protracted engagements. Israeli forces continue to exercise restraint, often calling off planned operations to avoid unnecessary risk to uninvolved Gaza residents—a stark contrast to the indiscriminate violence directed at Israeli cities by the Iran-backed terror network.
The Broader Strategic Context: Iran and its Proxy War
IDF efforts in Rafah are part of a comprehensive defensive doctrine shaped by the threat of Iran and its regional proxies. Hamas, whose leaders have received support, weapons, and training from Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), serves as the tip of the spear in efforts to destabilize Israel through terror warfare. The October 7 atrocities, which included mass executions, sexual violence, mutilations, and the abduction of civilians, were planned and executed as part of this broader Iranian strategy.
While ground operations continue in southern Gaza, Israel remains on alert for threats from Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, where Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other Iranian proxies continue to test Israel’s defenses through rockets, drones, and attempted infiltrations. The U.S., under President Donald Trump, has reiterated its commitment to Israeli security, ensuring continued military, intelligence, and diplomatic backing as Israel confronts a regional axis of terrorist organizations.
The Hostage Crisis: Human Dimension and Moral Distinction
Integral to the military campaign is the ongoing Israeli effort to secure the release of hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7. More than 250 civilians remain unaccounted for, held in unknown conditions within Gaza’s extensive tunnel network. IDF operations in Rafah specifically target those tunnels and sites believed to house or facilitate the movement of hostages. Israel consistently reaffirms the legal and moral distinction between innocent hostages and convicted terrorists sometimes released in exchange, highlighting the gravity of these decisions and Hamas’s violation of all human and international norms.
Regional Impact, International Response
Securing Rafah and the ‘Morag Corridor’ is of strategic importance not just for Israeli security, but for the stability of the entire region. The Egyptian government, itself threatened by cross-border smuggling and terrorist infiltration, is coordinating closely with Israel to contain violence and manage humanitarian access points. Several Arab states, though publicly critical of Israeli operations, have privately supported the removal of the Hamas threat due to their own security concerns.
The international community remains divided, with numerous states supporting Israel’s right to self-defense, while others—often influenced by anti-Israel sentiment or misinformation—call for premature ceasefires or mischaracterize the conflict’s origins and solutions. Israeli officials emphasize that full victory over Hamas is a precondition for any viable future peace, and that no comparability exists between a lawful democracy acting in self-defense and a terror entity committed to genocide.
Continuing Operations and Future Outlook
As the IDF consolidates gains in Rafah, military sources confirm that Division 36 and the Golani Brigade stand ready to expand operations to other hotspots should intelligence require. Analysts warn, however, that even after Hamas’s overt military defeat, Israel will confront ongoing efforts by Iran to regroup its proxies. The campaign in Gaza must thus be understood not only as a military operation, but as one battle in a much wider war imposed by actors fundamentally opposed to the existence of the Jewish state.
The resolve shown by Golani and all IDF soldiers underscores Israel’s enduring commitment to the defense of its people, the honoring of its fallen, and the broader fight against the forces of terror arrayed against it. The outcome in Rafah will have lasting implications not just for Israel, but for the security architecture of the Middle East as a whole.
