An IDF spokesman published a photo this evening (Thursday) that revealed that one of the 358 arrested in the operation conducted at Shifa Hospital is Ra'ed Sa'd - head of the operations department in the terrorist organization and one of the six most senior figures in Hamas' military wing.
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Saad is considered an intelligence treasure.
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Ra'ad's picture appeared on cards bearing pictures of wanted Hamas leaders, which were distributed to IDF fighters in Gaza.
In a statement earlier this evening, Hegary said: "We have arrested senior terrorists in Shifa whose names cannot yet be published, as they are corroborating important intelligence information.".
Hillel Biton Rosen, Channel 14's military correspondent, revealed new details about the activity of our forces in the area: The IDF waited with the operation in Shifa to lull the area into sleep, to surprise Hamas and capture as many terrorists as possible.
Senior IDF officials said that the divisional operation had been brewing for a month before the launch. "We lulled the area into sleep for three weeks, in order to carry out a surprise raid.".
So far, about 650 terrorists have been arrested, some with blood on their hands. One of the terrorists admitted during interrogation that he killed four soldiers and kidnapped ten more to the Gaza Strip.
Permission granted for publication: Following an earlier pressure cooker operation on one of the buildings in Shifa, a senior Hamas terrorist with a position concurrent with the rank of major general in the IDF was arrested.
— Hallel Bitton Rosen (@BittonRosen) March 21, 2024
The IDF emphasizes that they are not close to exhaustion, and that they are looking for more 'fat fish' located within the hospital grounds, with every curtain that is moved revealing another 'gold mine' of terrorism. In addition, the IDF estimates that the operation may continue for several more days, and even extend into the beginning of next week.
The current estimate is that 50 terrorists remain in the area, including probably 20 senior figures.
The Islamic Jihad operatives in the region surrendered after realizing that it was either surrender or die. In contrast, the Hamas terrorists in the region are divided into two - one part threw up their hands and surrendered, and the other fought.
The IDF had previously operated in the hospital but then left it, allowing the terrorists to return to the scene.
In the current operation, the forces succeeded in surrounding Shifa within 15 minutes of the start of the operation, with the operation beginning at 2:15 and by 2:31 the hospital was surrounded.
As a result of the rapid encirclement operation, none of the terrorists were able to escape the scene, which allowed our forces to capture a large number of terrorists.
Photos of the detainees published by the IDF spokesman:
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