WATCH | Israel says Hamas deploys children to the frontlines to deliver messages, ammunition

Israel accuses Hamas of training children for involvement in their terrorist activities, alleging that youngsters are being deployed to the frontlines to deliver messages and ammunition. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) released photos showing children alongside Hamas terrorists, holding semiautomatic weapons and operating rocket launchers.

In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), the IDF stated, "Terrorism is not innate, it is learned," accompanying it with a video of children running through Hamas tunnels. The IDF claims that during the ongoing conflict, Hamas has placed children on the frontlines, utilizing them to convey messages and supplies while their operatives hide in shelters.

"During the ongoing war, Hamas has positioned children on the frontlines, sending them to deliver messages and ammunition while its operatives hide in shelters," claimed IDF.

According to the IDF, Gazan children are taught in "schools, youth movements, and summer camps" that "killing Jews and Israelis is justified." They allege that Hamas organizes summer camps where children learn to use weapons, attack from tunnels, engage with tanks, and participate in military training as an early stage for integration into the group's military wing.

The Israeli military asserts that Gazan children are trained to fight in tunnels, use firearms, and participate in kidnapping scenarios. Allegedly, these children are given explosives to conceal and deliver to Hamas operatives for use in ambushing Israeli soldiers. The footage supporting these claims was reportedly captured in Khan Younis in Gaza.

IDF told Fox News that children in Gaza are involved in transferring explosives, hiding them in vegetable bags, and placing them in Hamas ambush locations. Additionally, they claim that children are sent to battlefields after attacks to assess the damage and report it to hiding terrorists.

The IDF alleges that over 170 minors are working for Hamas and the Islamic Jihad throughout Gaza. This revelation follows Hamas's claim that Israeli forces killed senior official Saleh al-Arouri, although Israel has not confirmed the assassination. IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari emphasized their preparedness for any scenario, focusing on countering Hamas.