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(https://rumcdn.geoedge.be/f7ae3efe-f9e8-44be-8cf9-3b564afd5f4b/grumi-ip.js)  (https://widgets.outbrain.com/outbrain.js)  (https://btloader.com/tag?o=5119785225420800&upapi=true)  (https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id=GTM-T4BJGTM)   (../../manifest.json)  (../../../images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/Icons/PNG/jp-favicon-16.png)  (../../../images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/Icons/PNG/jp-favicon-32.png)  (../../../images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/Icons/PNG/jp-favicon-192.png)  (https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/Icons/PNG/jp-favicon-180.png)  (https://fonts.gstatic.com)  (https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js)  Following IDF strikes in Gaza, officials worry about Hamas retaliation | The Jerusalem Post      (article-907576.html)                     (Jerusalem Post) (https://www.jpost.com/) (The Jerusalem Post - Israel News) (The Jerusalem Post - Israel News)    (CONFERENCES) (https://www.jpost.com/conferences) CONFERENCES  (ISRAEL NEWS) (https://www.jpost.com/israel-news) ISRAEL NEWS  (WORLD NEWS) (https://www.jpost.com/international) WORLD NEWS  (MIDDLE EAST) (https://www.jpost.com/middle-east) MIDDLE EAST  (BUSINESS & INNOVATION) (https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation) BUSINESS & INNOVATION  (DEFENSE & TECH) (https://defense-and-tech.jpost.com/) DEFENSE & TECH  (OPINION) (https://www.jpost.com/opinion) OPINION  (JP STORE) (https://store.jpost.com/) JP STORE   (https://www.jpost.com/PayWalllogin) Login    (Search) ()           (https://www.jpost.com/PayWalllogin) Login (https://payments.jpost.com/paywall/paywallpersonaldetails) Subscribe    (https://www.jpost.com/magazineprint/digitallibrary) JPOST DIGITAL LIBRARY  (https://www.jpost.com/) HOME PAGE  (https://www.jpost.com/jerusalem-report) THE JERUSALEM REPORT  (https://defense-and-tech.jpost.com/) DEFENSE & TECH  (https://www.jpost.com/tags/education) JPOST HIGHER EDUCATION  (https://www.jpost.com/opinion) OPINION  BUSINESS & INNOVATION      (https://realestate.jpost.com/) REAL ESTATE LISTINGS  (https://www.jpost.com/aliyah) ALIYAH  (https://www.jpost.com/conferences) JERUSALEM POST CONFERENCE  PREMIUM      (https://store.jpost.com/) JP STORE  Categories  ISRAEL NEWS      WORLD NEWS      MIDDLE EAST      (https://www.jpost.com/american-politics) US POLITICS  DIASPORA      (https://www.jpost.com/opinion) OPINION  PODCAST      JUDAISM      (https://www.jpost.com/kabbalah) KABBALAH  CHRISTIAN WORLD      HEALTH & WELLNESS      (https://www.jpost.com/science) SCIENCE  (https://www.jpost.com/law) LAW  ARCHAEOLOGY      (https://www.jpost.com/omg) OMG  (https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change) ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE  (https://www.jpost.com/food-recipes) FOOD & RECIPES  (https://www.jpost.com/history) HISTORY   (https://www.jpost.com/special-content) SPONSORED CONTENT  (https://www.jpost.com/advertise) ADVERTISE WITH US  (https://www.jpost.com/landedpages/termsofservice.aspx) TERMS OF USE  (https://www.jpost.com/landedpages/privacypolicy.aspx) PRIVACY POLICY  (https://www.jpost.com/contactus) CONTACT US  (https://www.jpost.com/customer-service/cancel-subscription) CANCEL SUBSCRIPTION  (https://www.jpost.com/customer-service) CUSTOMER SERVICE  (https://www.jpost.com/landedpages/aboutus.aspx) ABOUT US       (https://www.jpost.com/) Jerusalem Post /  (https://www.jpost.com/israel-news) Israel News /  (https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news) Defense News   IDF raises alert level over concerns of a possible Hamas response to Gaza strikes Southern Command officials are also not ruling out rocket fire toward Israel as an attempt by Hamas to demonstrate its strength.  (Share)         (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=https://www.jpost.com/)      Follow us on Google     (IDF Northern Brigade troops dismantle terror tunnels near the Yellow Line in the northern Gaza Strip. Images released on September 2, 2026.) (IDF Northern Brigade troops dismantle terror tunnels near the Yellow Line in the northern Gaza Strip. Images released on September 2, 2026.)   IDF Northern Brigade troops dismantle terror tunnels near the Yellow Line in the northern Gaza Strip. Images released on September 2, 2026. (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT )    By (https://www.jpost.com/author/amir-bohbot) AMIR BOHBOT    SEPTEMBER 4, 2026 10:27   Concern is mounting within the IDF Southern Command that commanders in Hamas’s military wing could carry out a guerrilla operation against IDF outposts or patrols along the Yellow Line in response to a series of targeted strikes and the (https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-907213) capture of a senior Hamas official earlier this week , sources told Walla on Thursday.Southern Command officials are also not ruling out rocket fire toward Israel as an attempt by Hamas to demonstrate its strength. The sources said the assessment is that Hamas prefers the US not to allow the IDF to conduct deep operations in the strip and therefore may seek to use the period before elections in Israel and the US to respond to recent developments.  Ahead of (https://www.jpost.com/judaism/jewish-holidays/article-906797) Rosh Hashanah next weekend, a situational assessment will be held to examine the possibility of a targeted reinforcement of forces in the Gaza Strip. The move could include sending messages to Hamas that any activity against IDF troops or the Israeli home front would lead to an unusual IDF response.   The defense establishment has declined to comment on the arrest of the head of Hamas’s internal security apparatus, but officials said he is a key figure in understanding the organization’s behind-the-scenes activities. According to the officials, his interrogation could help answer critical questions regarding operational plans, protected individuals, methods and tactics, and field commanders who were recently appointed to sensitive positions.  If Gazan forces attack, Israel's response will be severe  On the same day as the arrest, the IDF raised its alert level over concerns of a possible Hamas response. Diplomatic officials conveyed messages through mediators that if Gaza-based forces carried out an attack against IDF soldiers or Israeli civilians following the arrest, Israel’s response would be severe.  (IDF troops operate in the northern Gaza Strip to defend and clear terrorist infrastructure from the area of the Yellow Line, September 2, 2026.)  IDF troops operate in the northern Gaza Strip to defend and clear terrorist infrastructure from the area of the Yellow Line, September 2, 2026. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)    The arrest operation was carried out in cooperation with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and a Gazan Palestinian anti-Hamas militia. IDF and Shin Bet Special Forces entered the al-Shati refugee camp area in the Gaza Strip using vehicles. According to Palestinian reports, Hamas operatives detected the force and a firefight broke out, during which the force was extracted from both the ground and the air. Based on those claims, no arrest was carried out.   However, according to (https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-907444) Defense Minister Israel Katz ’s statement released after the operation, the arrest did take place. “We do not wait for threats, but rather pursue Hamas terrorists, eliminate them and destroy their terror infrastructure,” he wrote.  Katz said the arrest was carried out in response to an increase in the (https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-906563) launching of explosive kites from the Gaza Strip toward Israeli territory . “The response to every launch from Gaza will be powerful and clear. The test will not be in their launches but in our response, and it will be severe,” he emphasized.     See more on (https://www.jpost.com/tags/gaza) Gaza |  (https://www.jpost.com/tags/hamas) Hamas |  (https://www.jpost.com/tags/idf) IDF |  (https://www.jpost.com/tags/israel-katz) Israel Katz |  (https://www.jpost.com/tags/gaza-strip) Gaza Strip |  (https://www.jpost.com/tags/incendiary-kites) incendiary kites |  (https://www.jpost.com/tags/yellow-line) Yellow Line |  (https://www.jpost.com/tags/southern-command) Southern Command    (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=https://www.jpost.com/)      Follow us on Google           Related Articles (https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-907459) (IDF LEAFLET warns against violence, on a Palestinian car in Hebron, Nov. 2025.) (IDF LEAFLET warns against violence, on a Palestinian car in Hebron, Nov. 2025.)  Is 'Purity of Arms' holding the IDF back?    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