Israeli paratroopers operating in the Gaza Strip say they are striking Hamas fighters and terror infrastructure every day, while also seeing signs that the group is rebuilding. The report, published June 23, 2026 at 06:50, followed troops from the Paratroopers Brigade in Jabalia, in northern Gaza, where they continue to operate after the ceasefire took effect.
Captain A. from Battalion 101 said, “This is a war in every sense,” adding that militants are trying to plant explosives and blend into the population. Lieutenant O. said Hamas fighters are hiding well, “doing everything to assimilate” and mostly trying to ambush Israeli forces and seed the area with the next bomb. Battalion commander Lt. Col. R. said the unit is drilling and probing the ground systematically to make sure Hamas does not renew efforts to build offensive tunnel infrastructure, and said the troops are still finding tunnels and are “taking those assets away” from the organization.
According to the officers, IDF forces are operating along the eastern “yellow line” from Beit Hanoun in the north to Rafah in the south, while Hamas still controls territory only a few hundred meters away. Captain A. said the fight is daily and constant, and that Hamas is already recruiting younger fighters after losing the older men it fielded on October 7, 2023. “Hamas is an idea,” he said, explaining that the group still exists but its fighters have been replaced by younger ones.
The officers also said they are watching for threats such as explosive drones, taking into account the experience in Lebanon. In Jabalia, much of the area is destroyed, but hospitals, including the Indonesian Hospital, remain standing. The soldiers said they leave in the dark, return in the dark, and watch every movement. Lt. Col. R. said they are waiting for approval to continue, adding, “There are still many terrorists there who need to be settled with.”
