Identification in the dead of night, fear of a surprise scenario, and refusal to attack: new details on the unusual incident in Gaza

The day before yesterday, we exposed a serious and unusual incident in Gaza: the IDF identified an infiltration threat on the 'yellow line' but did not respond. On Wednesday, against the backdrop of angry reactions regarding the perceived tying of soldiers' hands in Gaza, we published new details about what occurred on the ground.

At 3:00 AM, the army received intelligence regarding a gathering of about 50 Hamas terrorists engaging in unusual activity inside the Strip. The IDF assessed this as a training exercise, yet prepared for the possibility of a raid on Israeli territory or an IDF post. The Gaza Division raised alert levels and moved forces toward the fence. A drone was launched, but according to sources familiar with the details, it failed to identify the terrorists' organization.

Soldiers on the ground told News 12 that they requested permission to strike, but the army preferred to remain in a high state of defensive alert:

"If this is not a threat that is allowed to be attacked, then what is? We wanted to act to avoid being surprised and to maintain deterrence, but we were not approved," an officer on the ground stated.

The IDF confirmed the incident, clarifying that no attack was carried out because no unusual gathering of terrorists was identified. The army also emphasized that there has been no change in the open-fire regulations in Gaza. However, soldiers on the ground remain unwilling to accept this reality:

"We feel that our hands are tied in front of terrorists who are already planning the next massacre."