Israeli military say they killed 500 Hamas militants during Rafah operation

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)

Israel’s military said they have killed more than 500 Hamas militants during the monthlong operation in Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip.

The military said they had identified 20 smuggling tunnels which totalled more than 20km (12.5 miles) and more than 230 tunnel shafts.