How Israeli police are searching for Hamas gunmen
An Israeli sniper spent Tuesday night on a roof of a military base. The building in Sderot, Israel, was briefly captured by Hamas in a multi-front attack last weekend that caught Israel's military off guard. His directive: Find any remaining Hamas gunmen, wherever and whenever.
For Israel, last weekend's attack represented the the nation's biggest intelligence failure in decades − a blow to a country known for having robust security that is the envy of the world. Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have been killed, and thousands more on both sides injured. Over 100 were kidnapped, including more than a dozen Americans.
With U.S. support, Israel has been bombarding Gaza with airstrikes and also ordered that 1.1 million Gaza City residents evacuate within the day as a potential ground assault looms.
Now, after regaining territorial control, elite Israeli police and military units are actively pursuing remaining gunmen. Tuesday night in Sderot and the surrounding areas, 23 gunmen had been hunted down and, ultimately, killed.
Israeli officials are finding people in basements and stores, or hiding out in one of the rows of abandoned houses and small apartment blocks. On rooftops. For the sniper, he told Paste BN his unit was authorized to kill anyone who tried to cross this road without permission.
"We are waiting for new waves of Hamas to come," he said.
I'm Nicole and this is Paste BN's Israel and Hamas War newsletter. This is a weekday briefing to keep you updated on the crisis, from in-the-moment news to interviews with people affected. If you know someone who would appreciate this email, they can sign up here.