The Israel Defense Forces pressed forward with the “Crown of the West” operation in Khan Yunis over the past day, targeting the Qatari-funded Hamad City residential complex in the northwestern part of the city.
Dozens of Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives were arrested, some of them while attempting to evacuate together with civilians, according to the IDF. Israeli forces raided terrorist infrastructure inside the compound and confiscated weapons.
The Hamad City operation began with a massive wave of strikes overnight Saturday, with the Israeli Air Force and IDF artillery forces hitting 50 targets within six minutes.
Following the strikes, the IDF established a humanitarian corridor, allowing residents to leave the combat zone. Around 8,500 residents of the housing development were evacuated on Sunday. Israeli forces captured 85 terror suspects attempting to hide among the civilian population, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists who participated in the Oct. 7 massacre.
Soldiers distributed food to the evacuating residents for the upcoming Muslim holiday of Ramadan, including blessings from the IDF.
Also after the airstrikes, 98th Division troops raided the complex to target terror forces entrenched there, while troops from the Givati Brigade and the 7th Armored Brigade surrounded the neighborhood.
Doha financed the construction of the $145 million, 3,000-apartment development, inaugurated in 2016. Called Hamad City, it is named after the former emir of the Arab Gulf state, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and is located north of Khan Yunis and below the city of Deir al-Balah.
Hamas terror chief Ismail Haniya, who lives in Doha under the protection of the Qataris, described the 2016 opening as “a historic moment.”
Five Israeli air strikes had already destroyed part of the prestige complex in December of last year.
Israeli forces continued to operate in central Gaza during the past 24 hours, with Nahal Brigade fighters killing around 20 terrorists, according to the IDF.
In Beit Hanun in northern Gaza, an IAF jet eliminated a terrorist drone squad.
The IAF is continuing to carry out precision strikes against Hamas targets throughout the coastal enclave, hitting over 50 targets in the past 24 hours, including launch posts, weapons storage facilities, tunnel shafts, and additional military infrastructure.