Two Israeli fighters were seriously injured in an exchange of fire in Rafah during the reporting window between 2:45 PM and 3:15 PM UTC on December 3rd, according to "Security news from the field without censorship." The same source stated that a number of terrorists were eliminated and that there were no further Israeli casualties. Reports indicate that terrorists emerged from a tunnel in Rafah and attacked Israeli forces with anti-tank fire, leading to the exchange of fire. "Security news from the field without censorship" and other reports also mentioned IDF artillery fire and helicopter gunship attacks in the Rafah area. The Israeli military confirmed an ongoing exchange of fire with terrorists in the Rafah area. An assessment in Israel suggests that approximately 20 terrorists remaining in tunnels in Rafah are not surrendering because they are planning a suicide operation against Israeli forces, as reported by Amichai Stein of the political channel. These developments follow earlier reports from this morning concerning the claimed recovery of an Israeli abductee's body in northern Gaza by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and the subsequent scheduled transfer of the body to Israel at 5:00 PM UTC today. The IDF had also received unspecified forensic findings from the Red Cross in Gaza earlier today, which were stated to be unconnected to the two remaining hostages in the Strip. Separately, Israel confirmed this morning that the Rafah crossing will reopen in the coming days for the exit of Palestinian residents to Egypt.
