IDF slams media for echoing rumors of large casualties after IED wounds 7 soldiers amid Gaza offensive preparations

An IDF spokesman slammed international media outlets on Saturday, after they had parroted claims made by Hamas that it had managed to kill and kidnap a large number of Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip the preceding evening.

In fact, an Israeli 'Namer' armored personnel carrier (APC) struck an explosive device in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood, where the military has already been intensifying operations in preparation for a larger planned offensive.

The explosion that struck the APC wounded seven soldiers, one of them moderately and the others lightly. Five of the injured were discharged from the hospital overnight.

Hamas’ claims were quickly and widely echoed throughout social media and by international outlets, fueling further speculation.

IDF Arabic spokesman, Col. Avichay Adraee, on Saturday specifically criticized Arab media for spreading “new false reports about heroic battles of the defeated Hamas in Gaza,” with the goal of boosting the morale of Hamas and their supporters.

“This is how this criminal and lying media, through its mouthpieces born from the womb of Hamas, portrays prosperous Israel as defeated, and destroyed Gaza as victorious,” Adraee said.

الليلة الماضية نشر إعلام الإخوان المفلسين أخبار كاذبة جديدة عن معارك بطولية لحماس المهزومة في غزة وذلك لرفع المعنويات المنهارة للقادة والعناصر وداعميهم الذين يعرفون انهم سينهزمون لا محالة.

هكذا يصور هذا الإعلام المجرم والكاذب من خلال ابواق ولدت من رحم حماس اسرائيل المزدهرة… pic.twitter.com/ehc4mpMBVT

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) August 30, 2025

“This is the illusion of victory that they are trying to market, but they will fail and admit defeat and apologize to everyone whose minds they washed with lies.”

On Saturday evening, the IDF announced it had tried to eliminate “a key Hamas terrorist” in Gaza City, with Israeli media outlets reporting that the target was Hamas’ main spokesperson in the Gaza Strip, known as “Abu Obaida.”

The success of the strike had not been confirmed before the time of publication.

The terrorist, identified earlier in the war by Adraee as Hudhaifa al-Kahlot, has become a rallying figure and a symbol for Hamas supporters worldwide, while being one of the last well-known, senior figures left alive in the enclave.

According to Palestinian reports, the Israeli strike hit two floors of a residential building near Gaza City’s “Palestine Stadium.”

The IDF noted, “Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.”

Meanwhile, preparations for operation “Operation Gideon’s Chariots II,” which aims to take over the rest of the Strip, continue on the ground while the military continues recruiting thousands of additional reserve troops.

On Friday, the IDF said it halted the local tactical fighting pauses in the area of Gaza City, declaring it “a dangerous combat zone.”

An Israeli official told the Associated Press that as the military ramps up its operations, it would slow or halt humanitarian aid in northern Gaza, after calling on the approximately one million residents to evacuate to the south.

Accordingly, humanitarian airdrops over Gaza City will also soon be halted, and the number of aid trucks will be reduced.

However, Israeli security officials told Channel 12 News that the evacuation is going much more slowly than hoped, with only about 10,000 people leaving the area in the three weeks since Israel first urged civilians to evacuate.

The call has encountered strident criticism from aid groups. On Saturday, International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric reiterated, “It is impossible that a mass evacuation of Gaza City could ever be done in a way that is safe and dignified under the current conditions,” calling the evacuation plan “not only unfeasible but incomprehensible.”

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir held a situational assessment on Friday. “Our message is clear; there is no containment,” he declared.

“In Gaza, the IDF continues to operate and strike Hamas. The Southern Command is enhancing the strikes in the Gaza City area, and we will intensify our efforts in the coming weeks.”