Israeli Forces Raid Hamas Tunnel, Seize Weapons Cache in Rafah

Israeli forces conducted a raid on a Hamas compound in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on Tuesday, uncovering a tunnel and seizing a significant cache of weapons and explosives.

**Paragraph 1:** Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) released footage and images from the operation, highlighting how it targeted a building that Hamas troops allegedly used to launch attacks against Israeli forces. During the raid, IDF soldiers reportedly neutralized "dozens" of Hamas terrorists.

**Paragraph 2:** A subsequent search of the building revealed an arsenal of weapons, including protective gear, explosives, anti-tank missiles, and tools intended for breaching fences, as stated by the IDF in a statement.

**Paragraph 3:** Soldiers discovered a tunnel shaft containing a weapons warehouse filled with short-range anti-tank missiles, grenades, weapons, and explosives. The IDF noted that this warehouse was intended to facilitate terrorist attacks against its forces, and both the tunnel shaft and its contents were subsequently destroyed.

**Paragraph 4:** This operation represents the latest in a series of precision strikes conducted by Israel in and around the city of Rafah, which remains a significant stronghold for Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

**Paragraph 5:** Initially, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu advocated for a full-scale invasion of Rafah, but the United States strongly opposed such a plan. President Biden threatened to suspend military aid to Israel if Netanyahu proceeded with an invasion.

**Paragraph 6:** Despite refraining from a full-scale invasion, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is pursuing arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas terrorist leader Yahya Sinwar and other Hamas officials.

**Paragraph 7:** Both Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have denounced this move as disgraceful and antisemitic, while President Biden has expressed support for Israel's right to self-defense against Hamas.

**Paragraph 8:** A three-judge panel will determine whether to issue the arrest warrants and allow an ICC case to proceed. The judges typically take approximately two months to make such decisions.

**Paragraph 9:** The IDF raid on the Hamas compound in Rafah and the ensuing seizure of weapons and explosives underscore the ongoing tensions between Israel and Hamas, as well as the complexities of the situation in the Gaza Strip.

**Paragraph 10:** As the ICC's investigation continues, it remains to be seen whether actual arrest warrants will be issued and what implications they may have for the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.