A steep reduction in Hamas’ operations in Gaza’s southern Rafah city appear to indicate that its fighters have been “degraded” by Israel’s months-long ground offensive but smaller Palestinian armed groups continue to target Israeli forces in the area, monitors report.

US-based defence think tanks the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Critical Threats Project (CTP) note a drop-off in a previously high number of attacks on Israeli forces in Rafah by Hamas, and described recent Hamas operations as appearing to “lack clear tactical or operational objectives”.

Smaller groups such as Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Nasser Salah al Din Brigades continue to strike Israeli forces in the south and central Gaza, including a combined attack on Thursday involving mortar shelling of Israeli forces in Deir el-Balah and also the detonation of a house-borne improvised explosive device.

The National Resistance Brigades also fired mortars at Israel forces in the Yabna refugee camp, located in eastern Rafah, the ISW-CTP report.

Hamas fighters launched rockets on Thursday towards Israel’s “Mars” military site in southern Israel and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades fired rockets at Israeli forces in the Kissufim area of Israel, ISW-CTP said.