The Israeli army retreats amid unprecedented resistance in Zeitoun and Jabalia
Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip are facing unprecedented resistance as they begin a second phase of their ground war, in light of their failure to advance into the areas of Al-Zaytoun and Jabalia neighborhoods, after having suffered heavy losses.
When the Israeli army announced that it was expanding its operations in the north and south, after the approval of Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy, it was forced to retreat along various axes in the north and center of the Strip. Gaza, and acknowledged the fierce battles and casualties among the ranks of its forces, but continued to shell various areas of the Gaza Strip, leaving more casualties, and imposed its siege on numerous Palestinian hospitals, including the Indonesian one, in a move in which the “Al-Qassam Brigades” responded by bombing a vast area from Ashdod in the south to Tel Aviv in the north.
Sources from the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip said: Palestinian fighters repelled the Israeli army’s attempt to advance towards the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood from the southeastern region and towards Jabalia, and forced it to retreat along the Al-Zaytoun axis -Sabra and Al-Thalathiini. axis towards the west, indicating that they are colliding with it in the Sheikh Radwan and Al-Nasr areas.
The assault on the neighborhoods of Al-Zaytoun and Jabalia is considered the most difficult task for the Israeli army, which acknowledged the fierce battles with the “Zaytoun Brigade”, which it described as one of the largest formations of the “Al-Zaytoun Brigades”. Qassam”.
On Sunday, the Al-Qassam Brigades released recorded videos and photos of its members targeting tanks, Israeli military vehicles and soldiers holed up in buildings in Gaza City and at the Rantisi Children’s Hospital. The scenes also showed surprise attacks from close range, targeting tanks and soldiers, as well as Al-Qassam members seizing equipment belonging to Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli army announced on Monday that 3 of its soldiers were killed. This brings the number to more than 15 in the past three days, during which the army tried to advance further into areas of the northern Gaza Strip and inside Gaza City. The Israeli army said two soldiers from the Parachute Brigade were killed in clashes in the northern Gaza Strip, while a third soldier from the Givati Brigade was killed in another location. This brings to 67 the number of Israeli soldiers and officers killed since the ground incursion began on October 27 last year. This brings to 387 the number of soldiers and officers killed since the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation on October 7th.
Despite the difficulties facing the Israeli army, War Council Minister Benny Gantz confirmed that the battle in the Gaza Strip is expanding, deepening and will continue.
Gantz said: Even if there were a truce for the return of the kidnapped people, Israel would return to attacking the enemy.
There are advanced negotiations on a swap deal that includes children and women, but there was no final agreement Monday evening, although President Joe Biden said in response to a question on the sidelines of a White House ceremony that ” he believes ” that there is an imminent agreement to free the hostages of the “Movement” agitation.
A political source told the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation: The agreement has not yet been reached, but progress has been made in this regard. There is talk of Hamas’ willingness to release fifty people kidnapped during the Al-Aqsa Flood operation over the course of several days, in exchange for the release of a similar number of prisoners, including women and children, in Israeli prisons. But Israel wants to increase the number of people Hamas will release.
As ground battles continued, Israeli forces imposed their siege on the Indonesian hospital and Al Awda hospital in the northern Gaza Strip. Israeli tanks deployed around the Indonesian hospital and targeted anyone who tried to leave it.
The government press office said: Israel targeted the hospital with rockets and caused the killing and wounding of many Palestinians in the hospital.
The Israeli army stormed and took control of Al-Shifa Hospital and Al-Rantisi Hospital, and attempted to take control of the Indonesian, Al-Awda and Al-Mamadani hospitals.
Israel claims that Hamas turned hospitals, particularly the Al-Shifa compound, into command and control centers, but has provided no conclusive evidence to support this accusation. Sunday evening showed scenes of a tunnel that Hamas allegedly used near the Al-Shifa compound.
On the other hand, Al-Qassam bombed large areas of Israel in an attack that appeared surprising after the intensity of the rocket bombardment from the Gaza Strip diminished. Al-Qassam announced attacks on Tel Aviv, Ashdod and other areas in response to “massacres against civilians”. Sirens sounded in an area stretching from Ashdod in the south to Herzliya in the north (about 60 km north of the Gaza Strip), and shrapnel fell in Tel Aviv and Holon.
Israeli media said: Sirens sounded in 129 Israeli locations at the same time. This occurred as Israeli planes continued to bomb large areas of the Gaza Strip, causing great destruction and further casualties.
The Gaza government press office said in a statistic published Monday: “The total number of massacres committed by the Israeli occupation army is more than 1,340, while the number of missing people has reached more than 6,500, both under the rubble or their bodies abandoned in the streets and streets, including more than 4,400 children and women.
The statement said: “The number of martyrs has reached more than 13,300 martyrs, including more than 5,600 children and 3,550 women, while the number of victims has exceeded 31,000, more than 75 percent of whom were children and women.”
As regards housing units, the number of housing units subjected to complete demolition amounts to 43 thousand housing units, to which must be added 225 thousand housing units subjected to partial demolition: this means that approximately 60% of the housing units in the Gaza Strip. have been affected by attacks, ranging from complete and invalid demolition of homes to partial demolition.
The number of government buildings destroyed reached 98, 266 schools, of which 66 were out of service, 83 mosques completely and 170 mosques partially, in addition to the 3 churches targeted. As a result of the Israeli aggression, 25 hospitals and 52 health centers were out of service.