JERUSALEM, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the domestic security agency Shin Bet said in a joint statement that they had arrested a key Hamas commander in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday.
The apprehended militant, a commander in Hamas' Eastern Rafah Battalion, tried to flee through a tunnel in Rafah, according to the statement.
After identifying eight militants exiting the tunnel in eastern Rafah overnight, three of whom were killed, the Israeli army conducted searches in the area, it added, without naming the apprehended militant.
The statement noted that IDF troops, together with the Shin Bet, continue operations in the area to locate and kill additional escaped "terrorists."
Under the first phase of the U.S.-mediated ceasefire, Israel continues to control large parts of Gaza, including key crossings such as Rafah, a key gateway for people and humanitarian aid. Israel said it will reopen the Rafah crossing, which has been largely closed since May 2024, to pedestrian traffic in both directions on Sunday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for full implementation of the ceasefire agreement. Speaking on Thursday, Guterres said the current truce amounts to a reduction in hostilities rather than a complete halt. He urged progress to a second phase that would include a full Israeli withdrawal and steps toward a two-state solution. ■
