Israeli soldiers scan an area while sirens sound as rockets from Gaza are launched towards Israel, near Sderot, southern Israel, Oct. 9, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen

i24 News — An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman told i24 News that Hamas terrorists could still be infiltrating the Gaza border into Israel, to try and carry out attacks against civilians or soldiers.

The area was recently cleared of active shooting locations, freeing Israeli border villages that were overtaken by Palestinian terrorists since Saturday, when Hamas attacked Israel in a multi-pronged surprise attack.

The spokesman also did not rule out the possibility that infiltration attempts into border communities, since Saturday morning, were being carried out by Gaza terrorists who entered Israel in the initial wave and have since been waiting for orders or the right timing.

With that being said, the IDF official did not rule out the possibility that Hamas terrorists could still be infiltrating into Israel undetected until this very moment.

Israeli security forces had earlier cleared the southern border villages of terrorists from the Gaza Strip, though warning some could still be hiding, according to an earlier press briefing with IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.

“We have evacuated 15 out of 24 settlements near the fence,” Hagari added, though the southern city of Sderot will not be evacuated, despite being earlier overrun by terrorists.