Hamas cell crossed Gaza Yellow Line, tried to reach terror post hidden in mosque close to Israel – report

Several Hamas operatives were caught by IDF troops while trying to reach a command post hidden in a mosque close to the Israeli border, apparently on their way to carry out an attack from there, Army Radio revealed on Tuesday.

The incident happened two weeks ago, on the day the living hostages were returned to Israel.

While the country was celebrating their release, a Hamas terror cell was caught in the Shejaiya neighborhood, only around a kilometer (about 0.6 miles) from the Israeli border opposite Nahal Oz, after having crossed the Yellow Line marking the ceasefire boundary.

The group of terrorists was spotted by an IDF drone, which tracked their movements until a force from the IDF’s 11th Reserve Brigade intercepted them.

פרסום ראשון אצל @efitriger ביומן הבוקר:

תקרית חריגה שלא נחשפה עד כה: ביום השבת החטופים החיים לישראל - צה״ל תפס חוליית מחבלי חמאס שחצו את הקו הצהוב; בחקירתם - המחבלים הובילו את הכוחות למסגד ששימש מפקדת חמאס עם אמל״ח רב

הפרטים המלאים >>
האירוע קרה בערב שמחת תורה, יום השבתם של… pic.twitter.com/G9dbxAWTKJ

— דורון קדוש | Doron Kadosh (@Doron_Kadosh) October 28, 2025

Following Hamas’ usual military strategy, the terrorists were captured unarmed, indicating they were on their way to a hidden post where they would grab weapons prepared ahead of time.

And indeed, during their initial field interrogation, the terrorists led the Israeli troops to their intended destination: A mosque that served as a Hamas command post and training compound.

Inside, the soldiers discovered a large weapons cache, including powerful explosive devices and RPG rockets, as well as intelligence materials indicating that the site had served as the headquarters of Hamas’ Shejaiya Battalion.

The terror cell was transferred to Israel for further interrogation after its capture.

The incident was only revealed through a report from Army Radio’s military correspondent, Doron Kadosh, after the military had kept the incident under wraps for two weeks.

Responding to the report, the IDF confirmed the rough details of the incident. “In accordance with the directives of the political leadership, IDF forces are deployed in the yellow line area and conduct ongoing patrols and searches.”

“In the incident in question, several unarmed suspects approached the yellow line. They were under surveillance from the moment they approached and were arrested by IDF forces at a distance of over one kilometer from the border fence.”

תיעודים נוספים ממפקדת גדוד שג׳אעיה של חמאס שנחשפה >> pic.twitter.com/RKAdyQZa1c

— דורון קדוש | Doron Kadosh (@Doron_Kadosh) October 28, 2025

Kadosh noted that this incident, and its concealment from the public by the IDF, raised several sensitive questions.

The fact that a group of unarmed individuals were able to cross the ceasefire line without being stopped or struck from the air, “raises a question about seemingly “unarmed” figures crossing the yellow line – they might not be as innocent as they appear,” Kadosh wrote.

He added that “other incidents that reportedly occurred along the Yellow Line in recent weeks have also gone unreported. It’s regrettable that the public is not being informed in an organized manner by the IDF.”

The U.S. has reportedly been pressuring Israel not to respond harshly to a series of ceasefire violations by Hamas in recent weeks so as not to endanger the ceasefire agreement.

The forward command post found in the mosque contained several notable findings, including detailed models of the nearby Israeli Kibbutzim Sa’ad and Alumim.

“It is believed that this mosque was one of those from which Hamas’s Nukhba (elite) terrorists set out on October 7 – where they trained and studied their attack targets down to the smallest details,” wrote Kadosh.

“Another photo shows a projector, reportedly used to project 3D images of the kibbutz models as part of Hamas’s training and operational preparations.”

While Hamas’ attempted invasion of Sa’ad on Oct. 7 failed due to heroic defensive battles by its residents, the terrorists murdered 22 foreign workers, killed four Israeli soldiers in battle, and kidnapped two foreign workers from Alumim.