Day 786 - Hamas operatives trapped in tunnel had slain IDF soldier's gun

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Nov 30, 2025

Emanuel Fabian, a military correspondent with insightful on-the-ground analysis, discusses the recent demise of Hamas commanders killed during tunnel operations in Rafah, where the IDF recovered a slain soldier's gun. He dives into the complexities of the Yellow Line's enforcement in Gaza and the tragic civilian casualties that occurred. Fabian also sheds light on a chaotic arrest operation in Syria that left six Israeli soldiers wounded, emphasizing the ongoing volatility in the region.

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INSIGHT

Rafah Tunnel Command Structure Neutralized

Hamas leaders trapped in Rafah tunnels were killed as they tried to flee, including the East Rafah battalion commander and his deputy.
The IDF recovered an IDF Tavor rifle linked by serial number to Staff Sgt. Or Mizrahi from the October 7 assault.

ANECDOTE

Slain Soldier's Rifle Recovered In Rafah

Troops found a Tavor assault rifle among the dead operatives and traced it by serial number to Staff Sgt. Or Mizrahi, killed on October 7.
Fabian says the weapon was stolen during the October 7 onslaught and later reached Hamas commanders.

INSIGHT

Tunnel Holdouts Likely Depleted

The military estimates dozens of operatives were trapped in Rafah tunnels for months after the ceasefire collapse and many died from strikes or lack of supplies.
Recent escape attempts dwindled their numbers; commanders' deaths suggest the tunnel group is effectively finished.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

The commander of Hamas’s East Rafah Battalion, his deputy, and two other terror operatives were confirmed by the military to have been killed early this morning after attempting to flee a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip. The soldiers there recovered the weapon of a slain IDF soldier, Staff Sgt. Or Mizrahi, a Nahal fighter who was killed while battling terrorists on the Gaza border during the October 7, 2023, onslaught. Fabian updates on the Hamas operatives trapped in the tunnels.

The IDF said it killed three Palestinians who crossed the Gaza ceasefire line in two separate incidents in the Strip’s south on Saturday, with two of them identified as young children. Fabian was in the Gaza Strip last week: We learn how the IDF is operating along the Yellow Line and whether Gazans are aware of the demarcation.

Six Israeli soldiers were wounded, including three seriously, after coming under fire by gunmen during an arrest operation in southern Syria early Friday morning. While arrest operations in Syria are no longer unusual, they rarely are accompanied by gunfights. Fabian unravels what we know about the ambush.

Officers of the police’s elite Yamam unit detained a cell of five terror operatives in the northern West Bank that was planning an “imminent” attack, security forces said this morning. The arrest comes as the military is continuing to carry out a major counterterrorism operation in several northern West Bank towns. We hear about Hamas smuggling attempts into the West Bank and a much-examined incident in which Border Police officers are now under investigation over the fatal shooting on Thursday of two unarmed Palestinian terror suspects in the West Bank’s Jenin.

We end the program learning about Maj. Gen. (ret.) Dan Tolkowsky, the fifth commander of the Israeli Air Force and later a key figure in the development of Israel’s high-tech and venture capital sectors. He died overnight Friday in his home in Tel Aviv at the age of 104.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

IDF vows to hunt down dozens of Hamas fighters still holed up in Rafah

Brothers, 8 and 11, killed in south Gaza strike; IDF: ‘Suspects’ crossed Yellow Line

Six soldiers hurt in gun battle as IDF detains terror suspects in southern Syria

Attacker killed, IDF says, 60 reportedly detained in northern West Bank operation

Shin Bet says it foiled Hamas plot to smuggle arms into West Bank using Israelis

Border cops who killed unarmed terror suspects after surrender say they feared harm

Dan Tolkowsky, former air force commander and Israeli tech pioneer, dies at 104

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves.

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE: This picture taken on June 8, 2025, shows a tunnel at the European Hospital during a controlled embed organized by the Israeli military, in Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip. (AFP)

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