by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced the defeat of Hamas’ Rafah Brigade during his visit to troops stationed along the Egypt-Gaza Strip border, emphasizing the destruction of over 150 tunnels.
Minister Gallant carried out an operational assessment with senior IDF officials along the Philadelphi Corridor, receiving updates on the operations that resulted in the defeat of the Rafah division.
Gallant praised his troops, saying, “I came here to express great appreciation. The 162nd Division and its brigades fight like lions. The enemy’s Rafah Brigade was defeated by the 162nd Division.”
He directed the forces to focus in the coming period on completely destroying the remaining tunnels.
“Out of the 150 tunnels that were destroyed, around 100 are actually trenches dug with engineering tools above ground and then covered with a meter or two of dirt,” Gallant explained.
“I gave an immediate directive to the IDF to destroy the remaining tunnels. It is critical to remember the goals of the war and to achieve them – regarding Hamas, regarding the hostages held by Hamas, and we also understand why we are looking toward the north,” Gallant said.
The Philadelphi Route is a major sticking point in negotiations for a cease-fire or hostage deal with Hamas. Israel wants to maintain a military presence there, but both Hamas and Egypt are against this. Despite Israel’s willingness to reduce its troop numbers, Egypt is demanding a complete withdrawal and has refused to relay Israel’s stance on the matter to Hamas.
Approximately three months ago, the IDF declared it had taken operational control of the Philadelphi Corridor, identifying at that time 200 tunnel shafts and 35 tunnels, some extending into Egypt.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Hungary’s prime minister told U.S. President Donald J. Trump on Friday that it would take a miracle for Ukraine to win the war against Russia. Viktor Orbán made the remarks at the White House, where Trump asked him during a joint news conference about the prospects for Kyiv’s victory.
Hungarian prosecutors have requested a two-year suspended prison sentence for Gábor Iványi, a 76-year-old Methodist pastor, once a close confidant of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and several opposition politicians, in a case widely viewed as politically charged.
In a decision that could reshape federal identification standards, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Trump administration to enforce its policy requiring Americans to list their biological sex–male or female–on passports, rather than self-identified gender.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R–S.D.) told Republican senators Thursday to prepare for a critical Friday vote aimed at ending the nation’s longest-ever government shutdown — now in its sixth week — as lawmakers scramble to reach a deal amid growing economic strain and partisan stalemate.
The Senate on Thursday narrowly rejected a Democratic resolution that would have required President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval before taking military action against Venezuela, marking the second failed attempt in as many months to rein in the administration’s campaign targeting Venezuelan drug-trafficking vessels.
Kazakhstan has officially joined the Abraham Accords, becoming the first country to do so during U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, the White House confirmed Thursday evening.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Thursday carried out a sweeping wave of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force and its terror infrastructure across southern Lebanon, marking one of the largest military operations since the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.