Israeli forces on Saturday found a teddy bear packed with ammunition and a hidden sniper rifle, the IDF said.
As part of the 551st Brigade’s operations across the Gaza Strip, the teddy bear packed with weaponry was discovered during a raid of a school used by Hamas for terror purposes. In addition, more weaponry hidden in classrooms was found in UNRWA bags in an adjacent school.
The IDF engaged in close-quarters fighting with a Hamas terror cell in the area of a school compound in the Gaza City neighborhood of Shejaia, the IDF said on Friday evening.
According to the Israeli military report, the fighting took place between the Hamas fighters and soldiers of the 74th Battalion of the army’s 188th Brigade along with LOTAR special forces, an elite counterterrorism unit.
The IDF said that despite an attempt by Hamas to bait the IDF personnel into an ambush, the Israeli forces successfully eliminated the Hamas attackers.
The IDF operates in the Gaza City neighborhood of Shejaia. December 8, 2023. (Credit: IDF)
A subsequent search of the school area revealed a tunnel shaft inside of a classroom, the IDF added, stating that the discovery adds to the evidence that Hamas abuses civilian areas by using them to shelter its terror activities.
The IDF has been emphasizing the point that the discoveries it had been making in Gaza italicize Hamas’s practice of using civilian areas for military purposes in recent operational updates.
Terrorist activities in the school
Further, Israel has reported finding evidence of terror activities in schools numerous times in the past. As recently as Thursday, the IDF shared images of what it claims is a tunnel shaft located in a school.
The Israeli military went on to say that a special squad from within the LOTAR special forces unit has been operating alongside the 188th Brigade for the first time within the Gaza Strip.
The squad reportedly contains snipers as well as soldiers who specialize in both demolitions and breaching. These soldiers have been active in elite units since the start of the Gaza war.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.
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