IDF finds weapons at another UN school during operations in Khan Younis

Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday released evidence of a cache of weapons discovered at another UN-affiliated school during operations in Khan Younis.

According to the IDF, Hamas terrorists used the school to shelter in while hiding from Israeli troops.

The terrorists reportedly used a hole in the wall of a building next to the school to sneak out and grab weapons from a stash in the building next to the school.

The school was being used as a humanitarian shelter for Gaza civilians to take refuge during the intense fighting in Khan Younis.

Inside the weapons stash in the adjacent building, the IDF found grenades, AK-47s, rocket warheads, RPGs and ammunition that was used to target IDF soldiers.

The United Nations, especially its Palestinian aid agency UNRWA, has been heavily criticized by Israel recently as more and more evidence of cooperation between UN organizations and Hamas has been revealed.

In a parallel operation, the soldiers were helping to evacuate a group of civilians from combat when they discovered that approximately 60 Hamas operatives were hiding among them. The terrorist operatives were detained by the soldiers and transferred to security forces in Israel for questioning.

IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari stated: “This is further evidence of Hamas’ cynical use of the civilian population for terrorist activities.”

In a second building, also near the UN school building, IDF soldiers found weapons, ammunition, cartridges, vests and Hamas uniforms. In addition, soldiers raided the residence of the head of the Anti-Tank Array of the Khan Younis Brigade, where they found weapons and intelligence materials.

In western Khan Younis, soldiers from the Paratrooper Brigade continue to engage Hamas terrorists in intense fighting, including close-quarters combat, as Israel attempts to achieve operational control of the former Hamas stronghold.

Israel hopes to achieve operational control within the coming days in order to begin the ground incursion into the Rafah area near the border with Egypt. Israeli intelligence believes that Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Sinwar, and Mohammed Deif have fled to tunnels under Rafah. Israel estimates that many of the surviving hostages have been taken to Rafah, where they are being used as human shields to protect the Hamas leaders.

Despite international opposition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to press ahead with the Rafah operation until Hamas is dismantled.

The Israeli government argues that only an increase in military pressure can bring Hamas back to the negotiation table for another hostage release deal.

The IDF also recently dismissed reports that the Sinwar brothers and Deif had fled to Egypt through tunnels under the Rafah crossing.