Israeli army says encircled Rafah, intercepted three rockets from Gaza

Jerusalem, April 12 (IANS) The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced in a statement on Saturday that it had completed the encirclement of the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah.

According to the statement, an IDF armoured division carried out the encirclement by completing the establishment of the 'Morag Corridor', a route in southern Gaza intended to separate Rafah and Khan Younis.

It said that during operations in the past week and a half, IDF troops killed dozens of militants and dismantled Hamas military infrastructure, including underground tunnel routes.

The IDF noted that it will extend operational control over the 'Morag Corridor' and carry out 'counter-terrorism' operations in the area.

Later on Saturday, the IDF said its Air Force intercepted three rockets fired from Gaza towards southern Israel.

The rocket launches triggered sirens in open spaces bordering Gaza, with no casualties reported, according to the IDF.

On Friday, the IDF issued an urgent evacuation order for residents in several neighbourhoods of eastern Gaza City as military operations intensified in the area.

In a message posted on social media X, IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee called on civilians to move westward for their safety.

"The IDF is working intensively in your areas to destroy terrorist infrastructure," he wrote, Xinhua news agency reported. "For your safety, you must evacuate immediately to the known shelter centers in western Gaza City."

Meanwhile, the IDF said in a statement that it had killed Hamas militant Ahmad Iyad Muhammad Farhat during a recent operation in Tel al-Sultan refugee camp in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.

According to the IDF, Farhat was the head of sniper operations for Hamas' Tel al-Sultan Battalion and was responsible for organizing and carrying out attacks on Israeli forces.

The IDF also reported additional operations since Thursday across the southern and northern Gaza Strip, in which several Hamas militants were killed.

The military added that it had dismantled Hamas' military infrastructure and neutralized booby-trapped buildings during these efforts.

--IANS

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