"The entire city of Rafah is an area of Israeli military operations," Ahmed Al-Sofi, the Mayor of Rafah, said in a statement published by Hamas media on Friday, adding that the situation in the city is "a humanitarian catastrophe."
The residents report that tanks and infantry have already taken control of the eastern, southern, and central parts of the city, and are now working to take control of the north and west.
The IDF has yet to confirm the report but updated on Friday that IDF troops are continuing precise, intelligence-based, operational activity in the Rafah area. The troops are continuing to eliminate terrorists in close-quarters combat.
In addition, while conducting targeted raids, the troops located several tunnel shafts in the area. Moreover, IDF troops located a structure from which anti-tank missile fire was identified and directed an aircraft to strike and destroy the compound.
During IDF operational activity in the central Gaza Strip, a number of terrorists that were identified near the troops were eliminated in a drone strike. WATCH