Rapidly depleting human shields leave Hamas isolated and more exposed to Israeli strikes

Both for foreign passport holders and Palestinians needing urgent medical treatment, evacuations from the Gaza Strip into Egypt resumed on Friday through the Rafah crossing after being suspended for a day, Egyptian security and medical sources said. But with the increasing exodus of civilians from the Gaza Strip facilitated by the humanitarian pauses, militant group Hamas stands more and more exposed to Israeli strikes as they are rapidly losing their human shields post the evacuations. “We have been facilitating humanitarian pauses for the safe evacuation of Gazans from the north for five days straight. Some 900,000 Palestinians have done the smart thing. Hamas is more and more exposed without their human shields,” claimed Lt Col Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson. Departures from Rafah, the only crossing to the besieged enclave that does not border Israel, had been paused on Wednesday for a second time following bombardments on the route within Gaza leading to the border. But since Friday morning, the evacuations have resumed and Hamas militants are rapidly losing the military strategy of citing civilian population being hurt and attacked in the so far densely populated Gaza Strip. On Thursday, allegedly 695 foreign passport holders and dependents, including Egyptians, were able to cross. Twelve medical evacuees and 10 companions entered Egypt, people aware of the development said. Evacuations from Gaza through Rafah began on November 1 for an estimated 7,000 foreign passport holders, dual nationals and their dependents, as well as a limited number of people needing urgent medical treatment. The Israel Defence Forces, meanwhile on Friday morning attacked Hamas’ naval capabilities, it said in its morning update.  “IDF troops killed numerous Hamas Nukbha terrorists who participated in the 7 October massacre,” a statement read. Nukbha are naval commandos belonging to the special forces unit of the Al Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing. The IDF said during the strikes, it killed Ahmed Musa, a company commander and Omar Al-Hindi, a platoon commander, in west Jabalya. It also claimed it killed the head of the sniper array of Hamas’ northern brigade, Mohammed Kahlout, although these reports are unconfirmed. The IDF further added it located and destroyed a shipping container it said was packed with weapons.